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NFL Player Contract
A written agreement or series of such agreements executed at or about the same
time between a person and an NFL Club pursuant to which such person is
employed by such Club as a professional football player.
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
The union contract between the NFL Players Association and the NFL
Management Council covering the terms and conditions of employment of all NFL
players.
Draft or College Draft
The NFL's annual draft of Rookie football players described in CBA Article 6
(College Draft).
Drafted Rookie
A person who is selected in the current League Year's Draft or whose Draft rights
are held, or continue to be held, consistent with this Agreement, by an NFL Club
that selected the Rookie in a prior Draft.
,Required Tender
A Player Contract tender that a Club is required to make to a player pursuant to
the CBA, either as a matter of right with respect to the player, or to receive Rights
of First Refusal, Draft Choice Compensation and/or other rights with respect to
the player, as specified in the CBA.
Right of First Refusal
The right of an NFL Club, as described in CBA Articles 9 (Veteran Free Agency) and
10 (Franchise and Transition Players) to retain the services of certain Veteran
players by matching offers made to those players.
Draft Choice Compensation
The right of any Club, as described in CBA Articles 9 (Veteran Free Agency) and
Article 10 (Franchise and Transition Players) to receive draft pick(s) from any other
Club.
Exclusive Rights Player
A player whose contract expires at a time when he has less than three Accrued
Seasons in the NFL cannot market his services to other clubs if his old club gives
him a minimum salary tender, as described in CBA Article 8, on or before the last
day of that League Year. If the tender is provided, this player can only re-sign with
his old club (unless the tender is later withdrawn).
, restricted free agent
A player whose contract expires when he has earned three (3) Accrued Seasons. If
his old club provides him with a sufficient "Qualifying Offer", as described in CBA
Article 9, on or before the last day of that League Year, it retains the right to either
match an offer the player may get from another club or to receive draft choice
compensation from the club making the offer. The Qualifying Offer is based on the
level of draft choices the old club wants to receive. For example, the Qualifying
Offer to a player with three (3) Accrued Seasons in 2021 for the Club to receive a
second-round draft choice and the Right of First Refusal in 2021 is $3,384,000. For
the 2021 League Year, the Restricted Free Agent has until April 23, 2021 to
generate an offer from another club. If he fails to get an offer, his exclusive rights
revert to the old club unless the Qualifying Offer is withdrawn.
Unrestricted Free Agent
As described in CBA Article 9, a player whose contract expires when he has earned
at least four (4) Accrued Seasons is free to sign with any other club if he does so
by July 22 of the same year. If he does not sign elsewhere, his exclusive rights
revert to his old club after July 22 only if his old club has given him a written
tender by the Monday following the last day of that year's NFL Draft offering to re-
sign him for an additional year at a ten percent increase in. If his prior club does
not tender such player, then the player remains an Unrestricted Free Agent for the
remainder of that League Year. An Unrestricted Free Agent will be restricted in
signing elsewhere, however, if he is designated a Franchise or Transition Player.