Report: NFLPA Set To Pay Players From Lockout Fund

Jason La Canfora from NFL.com is reporting that the NFLPA has a plan in place that will begin paying players on April 15th.  The details, as reported by La Canfora, are as follows:

The NFLPA established the fund to help players in need, and its accounting department has begun sending out notification letters and direct-deposit slips. The letters and forms going out to players — copies of which were acquired by NFL Network/NFL.com — include information on receiving payments.

According to an NFLPA source, the maximum payments to an individual player would total $60,000, to be paid out this offseason during the lockout. The fund was created via player dues and right’s fees during 2009 and 2010. If a player was on a 53-man roster for all 34 weeks of the regular season during those two years, then he would be eligible for that maximum, $60,000 payment, which would be distributed in six projected increments.

The e-mail to players reads as follows:

“We are e-mailing you to inform you that the NFLPA Board of Player Directors approved the payout from the Lockout Fund to begin on April 15, in six installments or until the lockout ends. In order to start receiving your payments, please fill out the attached direct deposit enrollment form and return it to us with a voided check from your checking account or bank letter verifying the account information. We will e-mail you at the address that you provide on the form when payments are sent to your bank account.

“Please note that any other future payments that you may receive from the NFLPA or NFL PLAYERS Inc (for example player marketing deals or royalty payments) will be deposited into this account and you will be notified via email of the deposit.”

My take: This is a smart move by the NFLPA to help quiet some of the veteran players that may be experiencing financial issues.  At the same time what about the 1st year players from last year?  Are these players not all part of the same united group?  I have a feeling that the NFLPA will be releasing a statement of their own on this situation.

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