NFL injury grievance deadline just days away

We may be preparing for Week 6, but that means October 15 is creeping up on the NFL calendar, and for injured players across the league, it’s a date that demands attention. This is the last day any player claiming the 2024 Injury Protection benefit can file a grievance. And, if there’s one thing NFL players know, it’s that time flies when you’re recovering from a torn ACL.

The grievance process is rooted in the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), specifically Article 45, where injury protection rules are laid out. Simply put, the Injury Protection benefit exists to give injured players a financial safety net when their contracts are terminated due to a Football-related injury. But, like most things in the CBA, the devil is in the details – there are rules, timelines, and more than a few hoops to jump through. Let’s look at how it all works.

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Who qualifies for injury protection?

To qualify for this benefit, players need to meet a few key criteria. First, the injury must have been severe enough to prevent participation in all or part of their team’s last game of the season or require offseason surgery. Moreover, players must have undergone the required rehab treatment ordered by the team, regardless of whether they remained on the roster. The club also needs to sign off, giving an official thumbs-up (or down) via a physical exam, by August 1 of the season following the injury.

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Miss the exam? miss the benefit

The August 1 physical exam is particularly important – it’s like the golden ticket. Without it, a player’s eligibility for the Injury Protection benefit disappears faster than the chances of seeing a franchise tag removed mid-season. Teams are responsible for organizing and paying for these exams, and there’s no dodging the process. The burden falls on both the club and the player to make sure it happens.

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How much could players receive?

Players meeting the qualifications can receive 100% of their salary for the season following their injury, but there are limits. For the 2023-24 season, the maximum payout caps at $2,050,000. It’s not exactly pocket change, but for some NFL stars, it’s a bit like losing your entire bonus for being the league’s leading rusher. This is a benefit that can be claimed only once in a player’s career, so when it’s gone, it’s gone.

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What happens if players miss the deadline?

If players fail to file by October 15, they could miss out entirely on any protection payout. The filing deadline looms large in the minds of agents and injured players alike. No player wants to be caught in the precarious position of healing on the couch while also missing a financial safety net – October 15 is the key to avoiding that scenario.