The players’ union is angling for a major change to how NFL teams spend their offseasons, likely in response to a continued push by the league for an 18-game regular season.
If the NFL Players Association has its way, 2024 will be the last year that NFL teams host Organized Team Activities practices during the month of May. A new push by the players’ union aims to eliminate these voluntary practices starting next year.
The Green Bay Packers are currently in week two of those voluntary practices, which comprise one of several phases of the offseason workout program. Players can begin reporting to team facilities in April to start strength & conditioning work, then work their way up to non-contact practices for these three weeks before a mandatory minicamp.
However, OTAs may be a thing of the past, if the NFLPA has its way:
End of OTAs? The NFL Players Association is working to finalize a proposal to overhaul the offseason starting as soon as 2025, eliminating voluntary on-field work in the spring in favor of a longer training camp ramp-up, with players reporting in mid-June to early July, per… pic.twitter.com/nQa9TmKCGO
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 28, 2024
This report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero suggests that it is specifically OTA practices that are under the microscope. However, it remains unclear whether the voluntary strength programs and minicamp would also be revised in this effort.
One potential reason for this push by the union is that the NFL has renewed its push for an expanded regular season once again in recent weeks. Indeed, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among the owners renewing calls for an 18th game as recently as a week ago. For that to happen, the NFLPA would surely demand some concessions, and changing around the offseason could certainly be part of a compromise.
NFL teams currently report for training camp in late July after getting a break of more than a month after minicamps finish up. The proposed changes would have players reporting for voluntary workouts a few weeks before the current report date, swapping the mid-summer break for a longer offseason. However, that would also mean that players who participate in the full program would be in the team facilities for 6-1/2 months straight without a break, and longer if their team advanced in the playoffs.
Even if the NFLPA is successful in pushing for these offseason changes, an 18th regular season game is a significant addition. The union would likely look for a second bye week to be added in the regular season, while further shrinking the preseason from three games to two may also be on the table.
Stay tuned, but know that this may be the last time we see teams taking the practice field in the month of May for some time.
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