More than 200 NFL players to lose status if no salary cap

If the league and its union can’t agree on a new labor contract, 2010 will become an uncapped year when a player would need at least six years in the NFL to be an unrestricted free agent who is able to sign with any team. And the current minimum for being unrestricted is four years.


That would mean quite a difference to as many as 212 players, who are entering their fourth year of playing football in NFL jerseys. The names on the list include Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall and six other Pro Bowl picks.

If they lose out on the chance to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, players might not get as big a payoff as they could have been expecting. They also won’t have the luxury of moving freely anywhere in the league.