NFL owners approve new CBA
NFL owners on Thursday approved a new collective bargaining agreement that would give them the flexibility to increase the regular season to 17 games and expand the playoffs to seven teams per conference beginning in the 2020 season.
As importantly, it would create 10 years of labor peace between owners and players just as the league begins to negotiate its television and media rights partnerships. The current television deal is set to expire after the 2022 season.
That harmony, though, is squarely in the hands of the players, who must now approve the new CBA.
The players association has a conference call scheduled for Friday, on which the 32 player reps, one from each team, are expected to vote on the proposal. At least two-thirds approval from the reps is required to move it to a full players vote.
At that point, a simple majority is needed for approval.
If that does not happen by next week, owners already have agreed to keep the current CBA in place through the 2020 season.
“Following more than 10 months of intensive and thorough negotiations, the NFL players and clubs have jointly developed a comprehensive set of new and revised terms that will transform the future of the game, provide for players – past, present, and future – both on and off the field, and ensure that the NFL’s second century is even better and more exciting for the fans,” the NFL said in a prepared statement.
Among the reported changes in the new deal, the players cut of total revenue would increase from the current 47 percent to 48 percent if the regular season remains at 16 games. It would raise to 48.5 percent in a 17-game regular season.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.