Football is one of the most physically demanding games, and the injuries suffered from it sometimes are life-threatening. While teams take care of players when they go down with injuries, there are also provisions from the government that help them make it through. However, moving forward, that is going to be a major concern in California, which passed a bill called SB795.

This bill is meant to “revise and recast” the circumstances under which professional athletes access the compensation systems. Players on the San Francisco 49ers team strongly opposed the bill. All the players on the 90-man roster signed off on a joint statement with the NFLPA, taking up their issue against the new California bill.

“Football takes a real toll on our bodies, and workers’ compensation was built for high-risk jobs like ours,” the statement read, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “We oppose California SB 795 because it singles out professional athletes and tells us we deserve fewer protections than every other worker in the state. If you put in the work and put your body on the line on the job, you should have access to the workers comp system like any other employee.”

According to SB795, professional athletes can only claim compensation in case of occupational disease and cumulative injury. While the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFLPA and the NFL governs the league’s players’ rights and responsibilities, the geographic location of the pro teams also plays a major role. As per the bill, a team is exempt from being liable if the player performs less than 20% of their duty days in California within the last year or 365 consecutive days.

Even the NFLPA has raised its voice against the new bill.

“The NFL Players Association strongly opposes California SB 795, which would significantly restrict professional athletes’ access to the workers’ compensation system,” the NFLPA said on June 5. “This bill targets our players, stripping them of the constitutional rights and legal protections afforded to every other worker in the state.

“We will not accept a system that carves professional athletes out of hard-earned worker protections. Our union urges lawmakers to reject SB 795 and stand with the players who make the game possible,” the NFLPA further added.

While there are multiple states that allow players to not pay state income tax, California does not provide that facility. In California, players have to pay 13.3% tax, with first-year players having to pay $12.3% tax. So, in a way, the taxes are used to pay for workers’ compensation, which is what makes the new bill contentious.

While the NFLPA and the San Francisco 49ers players are totally against the bill since it puts a huge question mark on their physical liabilities, the 49ers’ ownership is backing the bill.

The San Francisco 49ers’ ownership is walking in the opposite direction from the players

There are three NFL teams quartered in California – the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the bill affecting players from all three organizations, none of them have raised questions against it. Initially, it seemed they were just being silent, but the recent reports suggest that the 49ers’ ownership is clearly backing the bill, while going against the NFLPA and the 90-man roster.

“#49ers ownership is backing California bill SB795,” reported 49ers & NFL News 24/7, via X. “Their players and the NFLPA are fighting it. Why? Players say SB795 would leave them with fewer workers’ compensation protections than every other worker in California. This is about a lot more than football.”

The team is yet to comment on the concerns of the players even after their statement, which is why there will be a lot of doubts surrounding how the next few weeks go for the team as they continue their preparations for the upcoming NFL season.

Even Senator Laura Richardson, the sponsor of the bill, indicated that the three NFL franchises from California support it, after they decided to remain silent. She even identified California-based teams from other sports leagues like the L.A. Lakers (NBA), San Francisco Giants (MLB), Anaheim Ducks (NHL), and many more as in favor of the bill.

However, the players are not ready to back down since the bill “narrows the ability to file claims tied to long-term, career-related wear and tear — one of the primary avenues for players seeking coverage.” Moreover, it pushes the players toward bearing greater medical costs because of reduced health benefits.

With the Niners franchise getting divided into two factions, it could become a bigger issue in the future. The regular season is getting nearer, and it remains to be seen how things unravel for the California-based team following the major announcement.