How the new potential CBA would affect the Colts

There are reports that a new collective bargaining agreement could be agreed to by as early as next week. Here is how that agreement could affect the Colts as it is currently constituted.

CBA negotiations are probably the least favorite part of being a sports fan. There are a bunch of tiny issues that the general fan doesn’t care about that the players fight over. The worst part is, if the players and the league don’t come to an agreement, there could be a work stoppage.

That would mean no football, and no one wants that. The last time the CBA was being negotiated was 2011, and there was a league-wide lockout during the offseason. While no regular season games were missed, the offseason was drastically sped up, and preseason work was condensed.

This time around, there are several issues being widely reported that will affect the Colts and every other team if the CBA is agreed to. One of those issues is an expanded playoff format, where each conference gets seven playoff teams, with just the top seed getting a bye-week.

If that had been enacted this season, the Colts would have been in the playoff hunt until the second to last week of the year. It would give them and every other team in the league a better chance at getting to a Super Bowl, even if they just sneak into the playoffs.

The biggest thing on the table with the current CBA is increasing the amount of regular season games to 17 and decreasing the preseason games to 3. This is something that has been talked about for years now and is clearly the sticking point in these negotiations.

Having that 17th game may have benefitted the Colts in 2019, as it would’ve given them extra time to try and make the playoffs. But it also decreases player safety. As much as people think the CBA is close to being done, I have my doubts. There could be a work stoppage on the horizon in 2021.

That stoppage would have big consequences to the Colts in 2021. That is a year in which most of their young players would be entering their primes. It could also be the year in which they have a rookie quarterback if they decide to let Jacoby Brissett start again this season. It could affect their title window.

It will be very interesting to see how these negotiations continue throughout the next few weeks and months.