“Honestly I don’t care and I don’t think the guys in this locker room care whether this thing’s going to be around in 20 years because none of us are going to be playing,” Winston said.
Asked NFLPA prez E. Winston if NFL can survive a 2021 work stoppage. Says he doesn't care if NFL is around in 20 years. Listen here: @WCPO pic.twitter.com/QVdaiUmUgO
— Keenan Singleton (@KJMSingleton) August 21, 2017
While the work stoppage is “invevitable,” he said, recent CTE discoveries and further health problems could lead one to question the future of the NFL.
In the meantime, Winston and the union are preparing younger players for a lockout. One reason the players caved to the owners in 2011 was due to financial difficulties. Now the union hopes to better prepare them.
“These rookies that are here now are going to be in the middle of that,” Winston said. “They need to understand what they’re getting into, what they need to prepare for,” Winston said. “We have to prepare for that outcome because that’s what happened the last time.”
At any rate, enjoy football season. In the near future, things are going to get much murkier.
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