NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 35
Days Off

Section 2(b)
Regular Season and Postseason

Commencing with a Club’s first regular season game, all players will be permitted at least one day off each calendar week (i.e., Sunday-Saturday) of the regular season. All players will be permitted at least three days off after playing a Thursday game unless the Club has consecutive Thursday games. In such a case, players will be permitted at least one day off following the first Thursday game, and players will be permitted at least three days off following the second Thursday game. Days off following Thursday games and days off under Article 24, Section 2 (Bye Weeks) of this Agreement shall satisfy the Club’s obligation to permit players at least one day off each calendar week of the regular season. During the postseason, all players will be permitted days off at the rate of four days per month as determined by the Club.

(b)

If in any League Year (i) the NFL elects to schedule three or fewer preseason games (not including the Canton Hall of Fame Game or any American Bowl game scheduled around the date of the Canton Hall of Fame Game) the final week of the preseason shall be a bye-week, unless the parties agree otherwise, and all players will be permitted two additional days off, for a total of eight days off during the preseason. Four of the eight days off shall be given after the final preseason game, with three of the days occurring consecutively on the final three days of preseason training camp (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), except that, for any Club whose first regular season game is on a Thursday night, the three consecutive days off following the Club’s final preseason game need not be given on the final three days of preseason training camp (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) but shall be given following the Club’s final preseason game on three consecutive days determined by the Club. Subject to the foregoing, the schedule for days off during this period shall be determined by the Club.