More John Clayton podcast: NFL reporter talks new CBA, more regular season games

NFL veteran reporter John Clayton dives in the new CBA and its fallout

Hall of Fame NFL writer John Clayton is one of the preeminent national personalities covering the NFL. Inducted in 2007, Clayton was with ESPN from 1995-2017.  He joined Sports Illustrated’s ‘Jets Country’ contributor Seth Everett for the third of a series of SI Jets Podcasts.  This episode focuses on where the NFL stands after the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was passed. 

Listen to Seth Everett and John Clayton here : https://soundcloud.com/seth-everett/everett-clayton-on-nfl-landscape-post-cba-march-25-2020  

NFL players voted March 15 to approve the new proposed CBA.  This meant increased revenue share for players, added benefits for former players, an expansion to a 17-game NFL regular season and more playoff teams.  The deal is for 10 years. 

In the podcast, Clayton explains why the players had to vote yes or else the labor talks would not be progressing for anwhile.  Of the nearly 2000 voters, the yes vote only won by 60 votes.  Many high profile players including J.J. Watt, Aaron Rodgers and Richard Sherman were against the CBA. 

In talking with Everett, Clayton said that adding another game was inevitable but he didn’t think the logistics of setting it up would be ready for the 2021 season.  He also thinks that the coronavirus situation has had a huge impact on the league even though it hasn’t had to cancel anything drastic like the NBA, NHL, or MLB. 

One suggestion from the podcast was on the release of the schedule.  Should the NFL release a schedule or hold off until it can guarantee that those games can and will be played?  The answer is covered in the interview. 

The new deal begins with the upcoming 2020 season and runs until 2030.