NFLPA Issues Message On Debt Concerns

Below is the NFLPA Weekly Message for this week, expressing the union's concern for the NFL's limits on club debt.  The union advises players and agents to not take seriously the cash concerns that teams may mention in light of the teams' refusal to open their books.

NFLPA Weekly Message

November 24, 2008

“We recently heard that the NFL again has concerns about its credit lines with financial institutions, and it is again considering limits on club debt. This is a concern to our union, since club debt limits can have an obvious effect on negotiation of player contracts. If a player's goal is to get a large signing bonus in a new contract, as most free agents have done, his agent's job is harder if the cash available to the club is limited by league-imposed debt ceilings. That is why the NFLPA has legally challenged debt limits in the past and will do so again if the league moves forward on this. Players may hear clubs say that player salaries are too high and there needs to be changes in the CBA to give financial relief to the owners. But meanwhile, they are not willing to open their books to show their true financial situations. We can therefore assume that their $25 million average annual profit per club is not in jeopardy, and there is no need to be concerned about club debt.”

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