NFL imitates FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and cut the salaries because of COVID-19

Sooner or later, the Coronavirus pandemic was going to take the toll on the National Football League (NFL) and its finances. This happened after announcing a considerable reduction in the salary cap established for the 2021 season, to reach $ 182.5 million. The economic damage caused by the pandemic in the competition, forced to establish a reduction in 15 million dollars. 

The information was released by insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, of the NFL Network, who confirmed that it will barely exceed the minimum floor established by the league last February, in a fall of more than $ 15 million compared to 2020. This way, the NFL establishes the lowest salary cap in the last three years, although it does not exceed what happened in 2018, where it was "barely" set at $ 177.2 million; since in 2019 it was $ 188.2 million, and last season, reaching $ 198.2 million.

A situation that could cause a massive entry of players, mainly veterans, to free agency as of March 17, and a high unemployment rate, because franchises will have to lower their budgets to be in line with the new measure. This drop in the salary cap marks a setback in the NFL, as seven consecutive years of constant growth in this figure come to a standstill, with an average increase for each season by $ 10 million.

However, the reports warn that this drop is rather brief, since among the franchises there is the expectation that the next contest may be developed with the presence of fans in the stadiums, in addition to how the new agreements for television rights will end up. We can see not only giants like Barcelona and Real Madrid apply big measures upon this special world situacion.