Does Pending Lockout Force Cowher to Coach?

[cpearl]

Lost in a lot of the Cowher to coach/Cowher to CBS talk is the serious issue of a potential NFL lockout. PFT and other outfits have been disussing a possible lockout by the owner (see threads: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/union-and-cba/).

So doesn't Cowher take a big risk if he doesn't coach this year and there is a lockout following the 2010 or 2011 season?

This is something he has to be considering.

[PromoTheRobot]

I did not consider that but you may be right. Cowher can't sit out for years and expect to jump right back in. If he skips 2010, he may be waiting even longer.

PTR

[ddaryl]

It's definitely apart of the equation

2011 is going to suck ... I have a very bad feeling

[bob86]

The silent, but salient , issue in everything that is going on now is the possible lockout after this upcoming season.

Cowher knows that almost no owner is going to pay him $10 million a year in 2011 with a work stoppage just around the corner. Not only will the owner have to pay Cowher’s salary when the team is not generating any gate or TV revenue because of the lockout, but if history is any guide it will take a number of years for the NFL to regain its brand value after the players return to the field. Bottom line, Cowher is taking a huge risk in not signing with a team this off season.

[Buddo]

The silent, but salient , issue in everything that is going on now is the possible lockout after this upcoming season.

Cowher knows that almost no owner is going to pay him $10 million a year in 2011 with a work stoppage just around the corner. Not only will the owner have to pay Cowher’s salary when the team is not generating any gate or TV revenue because of the lockout, but if history is any guide it will take a number of years for the NFL to regain its brand value after the players return to the field. Bottom line, Cowher is taking a huge risk in not signing with a team this off season.

Some of this is valid, and some isn't. The part that says 'TV Revenue' I believe is incorrect. According to PFT the other day, in the event of no NFL in 2011, the teams still get paid. Should that happen, what does occur, apparently, is that they do get a fair bit less in 2012, but the bottom line, is that owners could actually be much better off in the event of a stoppage in 2011. Basically, in terms of a 'strike' fund, the owners are outdoing the players by boatloads of cash. This means that they will be able to still pay a large proportion of their staff, including, in all likelihood, their respective HCs.