Sources to ESPN: NFL players voted to approve the proposed CBA, giving the NFL 10 more years of labor peace, players an increased share of revenue, former players added benefits, and the league 17-game regular seasons along with an expanded playoff field.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2020
The NFLPA approved the NFL’s proposed 2020 collective bargaining agreement Sunday morning.
The new NFL will now include a 17-game season, seven playoff teams per conference, the No. 1 seed in each conference getting that side of the bracket’s lone bye, and at least 10 more years of harmony between labor and ownership.
Changes won’t be overnight, but eased into. In 2020, the new expanded playoff field takes hold, and in 2021, the NFL could see a new 17-game slate, the first increase in regular season games when the league went from 14 to 16 in 1978.
NFLPA membership approved the new CBA by a vote of 1,019 to 959. Allegedly, there were 500 players who did not vote on the matter.
Roster size will increase from 46 players on game day to 48, and the total roster would go from 53 to 55. The practice squad would gradually increase going from 10 to 12 in 2020, and then from 12 to 14 by 2022.
Now that the new collective bargaining agreement is approved, teams can no longer use the franchise tag and the transition tag together; they must choose one. With free agents set to hit the open market, expect a flurry of deals.