The Canadian Football League is currently into the stretch drive towards the post-season. The playoffs will begin on Nov. 11, the Grey Cup will be played in Edmonton on Nov. 25. Then, the league will face an uncertain off-season as the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on the first day of training camp in mid-May.
The last time the league needed a new labour agreement was in 2014. A deal was struck during training camp for five years. It bumped the salary cap from $4.4 million to $5 million and added a provision to increase the cap by a $500,000 each season. The minimum salary is $54,000 up from $45,000 prior to the current agreement.
Both the league and the CFL Players Association have been meeting on a regular basis but the heavy negotiating hasn’t begun yet.
Back in August in Hamilton, Edmonton Eskimos general manager and vice-president of football operations Brock Sunderland appeared on 630 CHED’s Countdown to Kick-off and said when it comes to negotiating with his top players, he’s at a standstill and it’s a big concern.
“On a one to 10, it’s a 10,” Sunderland said.
“It is the hindrance and not a hindrance. It’s the stumbling block that we have right now. I understand both sides of it. We’re all working on it together to try to come to common ground. A lot of players are sitting back and saying: ‘Why would I sign something right now when we’re not exactly sure what’s going to be out there?’
“Their concern obviously is they don’t want to leave money on the table.”
The salary cap currently sits at $5.2 million and players will be wanting an increase. How much the league is willing to go in increasing the cap is a question mark.
Eskimos quarterback is one of a number of starting pivots in the CFL whose contracts are expiring in the off-season. Most of those quarterbacks as well are controlled by the same agent in Dan Vertlieb.
Mike Reilly said he’s not pre-occupied with what might happen in the off-season but knows the league and the players will be entering a critical phase of negotiations.
“This is an interesting year with the CBA expiring and a lot of guys’ contracts are ending at the same time, coinciding with the end of the CBA, which is not by accident,” Reilly said.
“You don’t really want to think about that kind of stuff because there are so many different things that can happen between now and then in terms of the players, in terms of the teams, and in terms of the league.
“That’s really out of our hands as players. We have our union that represents us and they’re working extremely hard to try to put us in the best position possible. It will all work itself out once that season is over.”
The minimum salary is a concern considering the Alliance of American Football has its minimum salary set at $75,000.
The league’s current contract structure sees first-year players signing a two-year deal. Veterans can opt for a one-year deal (contracts are not guaranteed).
The league brought back the NFL option window, allowing players to sign for one-year plus an option to allow them to explore the NFL up until CFL free-agency in February.
Reilly said short-term contracts make it hard for the teams to have any continuity year-to-year.
“It made it harder to build a dynasty,” Reilly said.
“That’s the hardest thing about a championship team — you’re not going to have the same guys… because the guys whose contracts are coming up, who just helped put together a championship and now their value goes up, and you can’t keep everybody.”
Home is where the wins are
Out of the five games the Eskimos have remaining in the regular season, three games are at home. That should give the Eskimos some confidence considering they are tied for the second-best home record in the CFL at 5-1 compared to a 2-5 record on the road.
Veteran fullback Calvin McCarty said his team is comfortable playing at home.
“Whether we play it here, we play it on the road, whether we play it at Clarke (Stadium), or on the street, it should be the same intensity and the same mentality,” McCarty said.
“I think part of that could probably go to our fans as well and we definitely need that support and we appreciate it from the home fans. Sometime you need a little boost and they have been that for us this year.
“That might be the difference, but not a difference as a reason for us not to win those games.”
Listen below
The Eskimos are 7-6 which is good for third place in the Western Division while the Bombers are currently out of the playoff picture but are just two points back of the Eskimos.
Kick-off Saturday on The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium is 5 p.m., 630 CHED will have Countdown to Kick-off starting after coverage of the Oilers-Flames game.
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