NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 8
Veterans With Fewer Than Three Accrued Seasons


  • Section 1. Accrued Seasons Calculation
    (a)

    For the purposes of calculating Accrued Seasons under this Agreement, a player shall receive one Accrued Season for each season during which he was on, or should have been on, full pay status for a total of six or more regular season games (which shall include any games encompassed in any injury settlement, injury grievance settlement or injury grievance award), but which, irrespective of the player’s pay status, shall not include games for which the player was on: (i) the Exempt Commissioner Permission List, (ii) the Reserve PUP List as a result of a nonfootball injury, or (iii) a Club’s Practice Squad.

    (b)

    A player shall not receive an Accrued Season for any League Year in which the player is under contract to a Club and in which (i) he failed to report to the Club’s preseason training camp on that player’s mandatory reporting date; or (ii) the player thereafter failed to perform his contract services for the Club for a material period of time, unless he demonstrates to the Impartial Arbitrator extreme personal hardship causing such failure to report or perform, such as severe illness or death in the family. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be made within thirty days of the application by the player, and shall be based upon all information relating to such hardship submitted by such date. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties.

  • Section 2. Negotiating Rights of Players with Fewer Than Three Accrued Seasons

    Any Veteran with fewer than three Accrued Seasons whose contract has expired may negotiate or sign a Player Contract only with his Prior Club, if before the first day of the League Year after the expiration of his contract, his Prior Club tenders the player a one year Player Contract with a Paragraph 5 Salary of at least the Minimum Active/Inactive List Salary applicable to that player. A player receiving such a Tender shall be known as an “Exclusive Rights Player.” If the Prior Club has not by that date made the Required Tender or later withdraws such Tender, the player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.