NFL Players voted to ratify the proposed new CBA Sunday morning clearing the way for a 17th regular-season game, expanded playoff, and the surety there won’t be any work stoppages — at least not in the near future.
With a final vote of 1,019 to 959, the new CBA will run through the 2030 season with some measures of the new deal set to go in place this upcoming season.
Adding the 17th game of the season was the biggest point of contention between the two sides and will be implemented into the makeup of the schedule sometime within the next four years. As far as the expanded playoffs go, that’s expected to go into effect this upcoming year.
Despite the ratification, obviously not all players were satisfied with the outcome of the vote which probably includes Houston Texans star J.J. Watt.
Among the new features of the deal include:
- 17th regular-season game.
- Seven playoff teams in each conference.
- The first-round bye now go from two teams in each conference to one.
- Shortened preseason.
- Players will receive a large cut of the revenue sharing.
- A new drug policy that will significantly shorten the punishments of positive marijuana tests.
- Higher minimum salaries and spending floors for each team.
- Amended player contacts to account for the extra regular-season game.
- An extra game check that cannot exceed $250,000.
Although it’s nice to see the NFL won’t be interrupted by any work stoppages after 2020, I would be somewhat disappointed if I’m a player given some of the concessions the NFLPA gave up. A 17th regular-season game and expanded playoff was a huge win for the owners and getting that without any kind of guaranteed contract provision is unacceptable. This is especially considering just about every professional league in the World has guaranteed contracts so it’s not like this idea is radical in any sense of the matter. Nonetheless, it should have been a major point of leverage for the players that they now won’t have for another decade.
Marijuana punishments also should have been a thing of the past since players often use the drug as a way to avoid dangerous opioids.
So the NFL players caved on their biggest piece of leverage, the owners will see their profits go through the roof and in this current time of uncertainty for sports the NFL has secured themselves for the vastly foreseeable future.
UPDATE 3/15/2020 @ 11:22 am ET: The NFL will increase the salary cap $10 million from last season to $198.2 million.