While all of the players in the NFL would prefer to get the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed and out of the way so the NFL season can be assured of starting on time, it just doesn't look like things are going in the right direction and will be settled anytime in the immediate future. Most players believe it will be settled at some point that should not affect the start of the 2011 regular season, but what happens in the meantime?
There is no free agency going on, even though the NFL Draft will be held later this month. However, once the picks are made, no contracts can be signed until the CBA is completed. For a bunch of the higher-paid athletes in the NFL, getting by during this down time is no big deal, but for a majority of the players, they are concerned about how long this will go on. Then there are the Practice Squad players, who make below the NFL "minimum wage" and earn around $65,000 a year, before taxes.
A story in the Washington Post by Mike Jones details the daily regimen of Washington Redskins Practice Squad player Selvish Capers, an offensive tackle who is scraping to get by and now is watching every penny and definitely concerned about his future in the NFL. Check out this story and before you call all the NFL players "spoiled millionaires," remember that is only a very small percentage of the guys in the league.