The NFL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a labor agreement which reflects the results of collective bargaining negotiations between the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and National Football League (NFL) (the commissioner and the 32 teams team owners). The labor agreement classifies distribution of league revenues, sets health and safety standards and establishes benefits, including pensions and medical benefits, for all players in the NFL. The first collective bargaining agreement was reached in 1968 after player members of the NFLPA voted to go on strike to increase salaries, pensions and benefits for all players in the league. Later negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement called for injury grievances, a guaranteed percentage of revenues for players, an expansion of free agency and other issues impacting the business of the NFL. The NFLPA and team owners have negotiated seven different agreements since 1968.
The currently active agreement was ratified in 2020 and extends through the 2030 season, and includes changes to league revenue distribution, increases in player benefits and health and safety improvements, increasing the regular season to 17 games played, and increasing active roster and practice squad limits.
1968 agreement
In 1968, the National Football League Players Association was first recognized in writing by National Football League team owners. This occurred after the player members of the NFLPA voted to go on strike, intending to pressure owners to increase minimum salaries, pensions and other benefits for all players. In response, NFL team owners locked out the players who were on strike. After eleven days of work stoppage, the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached between the NFL and the NFLPA. The agreement set a minimum salary of $9,000 per year for rookie players and $10,000 per year for veteran players. It also set aside $1.5 million of league revenue to be contributed to player pensions.
1970 agreement
A new agreement was negotiated in 1970 after the NFLPA merged with the American Football League Players Association. During negotiations over the new CBA, players went on strike in July 1970. The new agreement was reached after four days. The agreement increased minimum player salaries and altered the league's medical and pension programs. It also provided for impartial arbitration of injury grievances, which had previously been decided by the NFL Commissioner. John Mackey was elected as president of the NFLPA during this negotiation, and the new agreement was projected to cover the 1970 through 1973 seasons.
1974 strike
In 1974, the veteran NFL players went on strike for five weeks, declaring "No Freedom, No Football," but they received no concessions before reporting to training camp after a two-week "cooling off" period. The strike never resumed, and the NFLPA player representatives voted instead to pursue a previously filed lawsuit, Mackey v. NFL, which challenged the Rozelle Rule restrictions on free agency as a violation of the federal antitrust laws. The Rozelle Rule was a compensation clause which outlined that a team losing a free agent would get equal value in return. Player confidence in the NFLPA was weakened by the strike's ineffectiveness. By 1975, fewer than half of players in the NFL were paying their union dues.
1977 agreement
After players won the Mackey case in court, the NFLPA and the owners settled on a new CBA which implemented a new first refusal and compensation system to replace the Rozelle Rule. The new system still placed restrictions on players' free agency. The court decision outlined that compensation for draft picks was to be awarded on the basis of the salaries received by departing free agents. The agreement reached in 1977 significantly improved some medical and pension benefits for players and gained neutral arbitration of all player/club disputes.