While the NFL took steps to prevent the opt-out rule from being exploited by players in 2020, there are concerns around the league that some players and agents have found a way to do it anyway.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the league is looking to move the opt-out deadline up to as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. On Sunday, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio shared two key reasons why the NFL is doing this.
Some teams are concerned that players who are on the roster bubble and may not make the team are choosing to opt out, thus guaranteeing them a six-figure stipend for 2020. While the league states that players would have to repay the stipend if they fail to make the team in 2021, that’s not something that teams want to have to deal with.
In addition, there is some concern that some agents are using the threat of opting out as leverage in a bid to get new contracts for some players. Florio points out that this is not necessarily being done in bad faith, as increased compensation could be enough to entice some players into playing in 2020.
The NFL took steps to prevent opt-outs from being exploited and essentially used as holdouts. These things, however, are harder to prevent. That’s why the obvious solution is simply to force players to make a decision as quickly as possible.
