INDIANAPOLIS — Aaron Rodgers was one of the 14 dissenters among the 32 NFL player representatives on Tuesday, when they narrowly voted to send the new collective bargaining agreement to the full NFL Players Association membership, and he made it clear he wasn’t just voting on his own behalf but based on concerns among the players who elected the Green Bay Packers quarterback as the team’s union representative
Less than 24 hours after the 17-14-1 vote, Rodgers explained his thinking by posting it Wednesday on Twitter.
Perhaps most telling was his opening line, in which he said his “decision to vote ‘No’ is based off conversations I have had with the men in my locker room that I’m tasked to represent.”
Ultimately, the full union of approximately 2,000 players — if all choose to vote — will decide whether to approve the new CBA, which could go into effect this year.
One of Rodgers’ most prominent teammates, All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, thanked Rodgers after he posted his explanation.
👇🏼Thank you👇🏼 #Knowyourworth #strengthinnumbers https://t.co/QYQmdFsob3
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 26, 2020
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Rodgers was “a force” in Tuesday’s meeting and that some players thought there was more negotiating to be done when it came to the offseason program and those players were disappointed when told there would be no more negotiating on that matter.
At issue, for Rodgers and his constituents, he wrote was the added 17th regular season along with extra playoff game for every No. 2 seed. Rodgers noted that had it been in place for the 2019 season, the Packers would have played on wild-card weekend rather than having the bye.
Rodgers wrote “16 games to me, was never something to be negotiated. The owners made it clear that the 17th game is about paying for the ‘added’ benefits, and had nothing to do with the positive feedback received about any extra risks involved with the added regular season game.”
He continued: “There were also many issues raised about the workplace, the workload and the offseason program. Some have been addressed, while others have not.”
Shortly after Rodgers’ post, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman explained his no vote.
Health and Wellness of our men is always the most important aspect. There is no price you can put on that and that is why I Voted No. I respect the Men that have been part of this discussion and stood up for their locker rooms. https://t.co/mL0Yj3E6d9
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 26, 2020
“Health and Wellness of our men is always the most important aspect,” Sherman wrote on Twitter. “There is no price you can put on that and that is why I Voted No. I respect the Men that have been part of this discussion and stood up for their locker rooms.”
The current CBA expires after the 2021 season.