March 25, 2020

Pre 93 Players:

The updated 2020 CBA news is simple, and it’s good.

The FAIR team has been told by a top NFL benefits official, in no uncertain terms, that the
increases to Pre-1993 player pensions in the new CBA will NOT be adjusted downward
for players who took any form of early pension (i.e. at age 45). They will be handled just like
the 2011 Legacy Benefit, which also has never been adjusted downward – Legacy credits have
always been $108 or $124 whether or not a player had taken an early pension long ago. The
2020 increases will be treated the same way.

The NFL says that even if you took an early pension of any kind, you will still see an increase of
$176, $187 or $192 (multiplied by years of service) in your bank account come October, when
checks begin getting cut. (See our FAQ page for more details.)

Printed and spoken information from the league, the union and others on this issue over the
past few weeks has been unclear and often contradictory, creating a great deal of confusion and
angst among us. This is the clarity we sought.

Now, there is one critical matter that all early pensioners and their spouses must know – the
portion of the pension that HAS been adjusted downward since they took it early (i.e. the
Benefit Credit Pension” above) will continue to be adjusted exactly as it has been before.
This has not changed. You will continue to receive the same amount as always – whether it’s
multiplied by some factor, is the $600 fl oor, etc. But the upshot is that the Legacy and 2020
Increases will not be adjusted for any early pensioner.

FAIR offers this information to help the high-level confusion we have all felt regarding how the
2020 Increases will be handled for early pensioners. It does NOT refer to any individual
player’s situation, and should not affect any financial decisions any player might make
now or in the future. You need to contact the NFL benefits office regarding how your individual
benefits might be handled.

A special thanks goes out to Jeff Nixon, who did a lot of legwork on this, and to Belinda Lerner
of the NFL benefits office, whose was very patient and helpful in answering our questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE 2020 CBA PENSION INCREASES

1) What do you mean about 2020 increases being $176, $187 or $192?

Changes to the CBA over the years and the institution of the Legacy Benefit in 2011 have
wound up creating three distinct spans of seasons that get different total monthly credits. They
are:
 Season Bell-Rozelle Legacy Total
Pre-1975 $250 $124 $374
1975-1981 $250 $108 $358
1982-1992 $255 $108 $363

The 2020 increases will set the total credits for all seasons to be equal at $550. To do this, the
different groups need to receive different increases. This is how it will look:

Season Bell-Rozelle Legacy 2020 Increase Total

Pre-1975 $250 $124 $176 $550
1975-1981 $250 $108 $192 $550
1982-199 $255 $108 $187 $550

2) Will the 2020 Increases be adjusted if I took a Survivor Benefit, etc.?

We do not know the exact answer to this. Please contact the NFL benefits office for
information.

3) When will I start receiving my 2020 Increases?

The CBA says that the benefit goes into effect on April 1, 2020. However, checks reflecting the
increases will not begin to be cut until October 1, 2020. NFL materials say those checks will
include a lump-sum payment reflecting what players “should have gotten” between April 1 and
October 1. For clarification on this and how it might affect you individually, please contact the
NFL benefits office.

4) I have been receiving separate checks for the original Bell-Rozelle pension and the
Legacy Benefit. What happens now?


This remains unclear. However this appears as more of accounting issue than anything else.
The NFL says the totals of any checks will still reflect the appropriate increases.



5) I took my pension AFTER 55, not before. Will my 2020 Increases be higher than the
standard amounts?


This remains unclear. In the same way, it is not clear whether Pre-1993 players who have
NOT YET taken their pension might see their 2020 Increases affected. Please contact the NFL
benefi ts offi ce for information on your individual situation and options.