The NFLPA has voted to approve the proposed collective bargaining agreement. In a statement they released on Twitter, the union said the final vote talley was 1,019 in favor and 959 against. This means there will be no lockout and we’ll have labor peace for at least the next decade.
The new CBA will alter the playoff format and expand the regular season, in addition to some other big changes. Here’s a few key points to know:
- The preseason schedule will now be only three games
- Each conference gets one more playoff seed (14 teams total)
- The regular season will be expanded to 17 games, possibly as early as 2021.
- Minimum salaries for players jumps over 20%
You can find a more detailed summary of the new CBA here.
Not everyone is going to be happy with the new arrangement. In fact, two Panthers players have been extremely critical of the new CBA.
Safety Eric Reid has called it “a disaster” and has been bringing up the plight of disabled players, who will see significant cuts to their benefits as a result of this vote. Incoming left tackle Russell Okung has accused union leaders of negotiating in bad faith, as well.
