ESPN cited sources in reporting the proposal would give players 48 percent of all revenue, and that their share would never fall below 46.5 percent. The report also said a rookie wage scale, still being adjusted, is part of the proposal, as is a 16-game Thursday night television deal starting in 2012.
Improved benefits for retirees — as a result of a projected revenue increase — are included in the proposal, according to the report.
ESPN’s report did not say the owners voted on the proposal, but the Washington Post reported that just a few objected to a possible agreement, citing people familiar with Tuesday’s meeting.
The owners and players have been trying to reach a deal since the lockout began March 12, and have met multiple times in the last three weeks to negotiate.
Those meetings have taken place under court-appointed mediator Judge Arthur Boylan.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday he thinks it is a “tremendous positive” that the players and owners are negotiating.
“The objective here is to get something that works for everybody,” Goodell said. “It’s not what everybody wants, it’s what everybody needs to reach an agreement that is fair and balanced and is going to work to make our game better.”
Goodell did not say there is a “drop-dead” date for establishing a new CBA, but recognized that time is moving quickly.
“We’re fast approaching training camp period, and I think there’s an urgency for everybody to get this done,” Goodell said.
The sides are also waiting for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on the legality of the lockout.
Players filed suit against the NFL and all 32 of its teams and a judge in Minneapolis ruled against the owners and lifted the lockout in late April. That led to an appeal by owners and a permanent stay of the lower court’s order by the Eighth Circuit in May, which reinstated the lockout. They presented their arguments to the court June 3.
Visit www.aasiwins.com for all your FREE NFL winners, news, articles, and updates.