Yes. The nflpa was threatening to strike. The owners played hard ball and did the lockout.
There was a collusion case and a settlement was intertwined with the final CBA deal.
If you go back, a huge number of players were taking out loans because they didn’t have the ability to stay afloat. And, it was widely reported that a majority wanted it to end no matter the cost.
They could have played hardball back and tried to get the draft, the waiver wire, trades, and the salary cap deemed to be illegal collusion. They blinked because players couldn’t afford it.
I know what you're referring to. Again, I think you're underestimating their resolve. We'll see what happens.