The current CBA runs through 2029, so this is still a good 5 years away. I generally like the CFL having things that make it distinct, but the Big 4 sports leagues already have restricted free agency. One of the common criticisms of the CFL is that it’s tough to grow a fan base when there’s a high turnover of players - it makes it harder to make those casual fans to follow their teams, potential converts to hardcore fans.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, other leagues have restricted and unrestricted free agents. There is no distinction among free agents in the CFL - when your contract expires, you become an unrestricted free agent, meaning you can sign with any team for any amount the team is willing to spend. Restricted free agency means that players with fewer years experience can sign with another team, but their current team has the right to match the offer from the new team.
I’m not entirely familiar with the specifics of the Big 4’s CBAs, but there are a few details to be considered:
Experience: Players entering the league are restricted free agents until they attain a certain number of years of service. In the NFL and NBA, it’s 4 years, in the MLB in 6 years, and the NHL in 7 years (or age 27). This allows teams invest in and develop young talent. The CFL should mandate a 4-year window before players can become unrestricted free agents.
Compensation: When a player signs with a different team during restricted free agency because their current team is unwilling to match the offer, how should they be compensated? In the NBA, there’s none - you were unwilling to pay what the free market offered, so tough shit. The other leagues have varying degrees of compensation, such as draft picks or money, depending on various formulas to determine how much a team should be compensated for losing a restricted free agent: the MLB and NFL base compensation on how good a player is (through some objective measure), whereas the NHL bases it on contract value. For the latter, the higher the price of the new contract, the more lucrative the draft pick compensation. The CFL should follow the NBA model.
NFL tryouts: Currently, when a player leaves for the NFL, they can return to the CFL and sign with any team. The CFL/CFLPA would need to decide whether RFA provisions apply to players returning from their NFL stint. Players returning to the CFL would still be subject to the same restrictions based on their cumulative CFL experience. In other words, a player who was released after a year or two to pursue NFL opportunities would be able to field offers from any team, but the original team would be able to match that offer and re-sign that player.
So how would this affect different stakeholders?
Fans: The fans benefit the most. The reduction in turnover makes it easier for fans to follow players and develop a better attachment to the teams.
Ownership/management: Allows for more predictable talent development, and encourages the investment in the development of young talent.
Players: Although their mobility is reduced during their early career, there’s no financial loss. Also, the concept of management investing more in talent development could result in higher dividends further down the road.
So what are your thoughts?
No. Not while contracts are not guaranteed, as they are in many of the other leagues you mentioned.
If the CFL wants less player movement, they should guarantee contracts. The ONLY weapon players have is the possibility of free agency, since they can be cut on a dime or asked to take massive paycuts as soon as the team thinks it’s necessary.
This is a labour issue. Make player contracts guaranteed just like coach contracts are. Then you’ll see less movement.
I can’t see the PA ever going for restricted free agency. It hurts their earning potential.
With other leagues more specifically the major North American leagues, they’re the largest ones in the world higher revenues/player salaries. An RFA can still play in other leagues but they’ll most likely make less. Some NHLers will go to Europe for a example but it’s short term
The closest thing that exists now is players that leave in their NFL window and don’t stick, their rights are retained by their CFL club for the remaining term.
Will agree that guaranteeing more of the contract (or all of it) will restrict player movement better.
Thanks for the insight! I asked this to generate engagement - don’t care if “my side” wins or loses. Would you want RFAs if contracts were guaranteed, or would you need to see how much of an impact it had on the issues presented?
Thanks for the reply! I hope this generates engagement. The CFL needs all hands on deck to discuss strategies for expanding its audience.
Minor detail but the CBA could be opened up at the end of the 2026 season if the CFLPA feels that the new TV Deal is cheating them out of money.
I agree with the two responses posted. RFA wouldn’t work because there are no guaranteed contracts (for the most part) and the pay is too low to tether players to teams.
I also wouldn’t want to see guaranteed contracts as there are all kinds of other problems associated with such contracts and most people in life don’t have guaranteed contracts and there is no compelling reason athletes should be any different, but that’s another discussion in and of itself.
Also to draw a key distinction in the broader sense, there is “guaranteed contract” and there is also “guaranteed money.”
They are seldom the same, as used in the other major leagues, including the NFL in which teams make calculated and complex decisions on exactly when to cut players to save any due money or salary cap space.
And so rather than have the focus be on a guarantee of an entire contract for its term and total amount to termination, I think the discussion is about any guaranteed money at all, beyond the signing bonus or other amounts received at inception of a contract, for players who stay with a team.
It seems now there are generally no such guarantees but for the star players, such as especially quarterbacks?
And we know of teams cutting players so as to not pay contract bonuses.
My open question, along the lines of the initial post, is should there be some incentive across the league of guaranteed money when a player stays with a team?
I agree with at least one of the implications of the opening post, which is that less player movement of the best and the most desired players signing with a team should be encouraged instead the currently dominant free-for-all.
The player of course would be able to move on all the same if unhappy with the situation even with the financial incentives to stay aboard rather than to abandon ship.
And timely with my prior post, here’s an actual example of such a situation in Edmonton now, in which some associated guaranteed money built into the initial contract at the end of a contract, for an extension or renewal, would be perhaps more likely to encourage such a player to stay with the team:
Mightygoose. I do believe that you are mistaken about players rights remaining with the CFL club if the NFL bid fails. The CFL teams release the players outright to get their shot at the NFL and the players return as FAs.
Will someone please correct me if I am incorrect?
It doesn’t directly address your question but it implies that the team retains the rights if the player isn’t a free agent. I agree that it’s a bit murky.
https://3downnation.com/2024/11/25/nfl-window-details-for-players-under-contract-in-cfl/
Rather than having restricted free agency, I would favour teams getting a discount relating to the cap. For example player enters the 2nd year of their contract 95% of their salary counts toward the cap. Third year 90% and so on.
Once that player is traded or signs with another team it goes back to 100%
I’m not 100% but I’m pretty sure the CFL team retains a player’s rights if they come back from the NFL and their CFL contract hasn’t expired. At least that is what I think I have observed. Maybe someone knows for sure.
I was pretty sure that teams release players to pursue an NFL contract. I’m pretty sure if a player wasn’t released, they wouldn’t be able to play for any team, which would result in a lawsuit if they went for a tryout. And with the financial backing of the NFL vs. a CFL club, they’d lose the lawsuit. Or they’d draw out the legal proceedings until the contract expires. And if a player wasn’t released, they might pout and sit out the rest of their contract, so the CFL teams, in practice, have no choice but to release them.
Yeah how I understand is the NFL opt out window is different than a release.
Polk who just signed a futures deal with the Falcons would still have his rights with the Argos if he doesn’t make the team in any form.
But yes anyone who is actually released or a pending FA would be able to sign with any team should he return.
I’m pretty sure the standard CFL contract binds that player exclusively to that team, as pretty well any contract in any pro sports league would. There wouldn’t be a lawsuit available.
But the CFL has a policy or maybe rule, I’m not sure, that players can try out and sign with an NFL team during a certain window. If the CFL didn’t do this it would discourage players from coming to the CFL and also give a huge recruitment advantage to the spring league(s) du jour. Win, win. There are always a few players that go to the NFL each year, but it’s a relatively small amount so it doesn’t really hurt the league that much overall in my opinion and I think the league is of the opinion overall that allowing this is better than not doing so.
Sorry if I didn’t explain this properly - if a CFL player under contract went and engaged in tryout with an NFL team, I don’t think they can do that.
If he gets injured during camp, who’s responsible?
They are allowed to try out. If injured that’s just bad luck. I’m sure it’s happened but I can’t remember a specific incident off hand.
This is a great question, but I do believe the NFL team that invited said player is liable, and that team does have insurance for this sort of thing beyond for athletes trying out for the team on various property owned, leased, or used otherwise by the NFL team.
And sure the NFL teams probably do have any and all players trying out sign a waiver, but one cannot waive all rights otherwise granted by law, whatever the waiver states.