NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 45
Injury Protection

Section 5
Injury Protection Candidate List

Following each NFL season, the NFL Management Council shall provide the NFLPA with a list of potential “Injury Protection candidates” on each of the 32 NFL Clubs. The Clubs will identify which players may qualify under Section 2(a) and 2(b) of this Article. The list shall identify the Club, player name, applicable category under Section 2(a) of this Article (i.e., whether the player was unable to play in all or part of the last game of the season because of a severe football injury, as certified by the Club Physician following a physical examination after the last game, or whether the player has undergone or is scheduled to undergo Club-authorized offseason surgery), and the injury or injuries that caused the player to be included on the list. The NFL Management Council shall provide such list to the NFLPA by February 15th (for non-playoff Clubs) and March 1st (for playoff Clubs). The NFL Management Council shall thereafter between March 1st and July 31st provide the NFLPA with periodic updates as the updates are received from the Clubs. A player’s inclusion on a Club’s list, or absence from a Club’s list, is not a presumption that the player qualifies for, or does not qualify for, the Injury Protection benefit under Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) of this Article in any Non-Injury Grievance hearing pursuant to Article 43 of this Agreement for the Injury Protection benefit.