NFL players ratify 10-year labour deal with expanded playoffs

NFL players have approved a new labour agreement with the league that features a 17-game regular season, higher salaries, increased roster sizes and larger pensions for current and former players.

The deal, which runs through the 2030 season, was accepted by the 32 team owners last month. The NFL Players Association's membership spent the last week voting on the 439-page document after its executive board narrowly rejected it by a 6-5 vote, and the player representatives voted 17-14 in favour, with one abstention.

Clearly, there was some strong player opposition to this collective bargaining agreement, though. Many stars, including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, J.J. Watt and Todd Gurley, spoke out against it. The total vote, among the nearly 2,500 union members who participated, was 1,019-959. Ratification required a simple majority — results were announced Sunday — and there could be lasting resentment among union members, given how close the vote was.

"We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA, which will provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety, and give our fans more and better football," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

"We appreciate the tireless efforts of the members of the Management Council Executive Committee and the NFLPA leadership, both of whom devoted nearly a year to detailed, good faith negotiations to reach this comprehensive, transformative agreement."

Travel restrictions as safeguard against coronavirus

The 2020 NFL business season begins Wednesday with free agency and trades, though a delay is possible given league restrictions on travel as a safeguard against the new coronavirus. A 17-game schedule won't happen before the 2021 season. The mechanics for an uneven number of games — neutral sites or which teams get nine home games —will be worked out in the interim.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith explained the ins and outs of negotiating the new deal in a lengthy tweet after the voting had concluded Saturday night.

"The current proposal contains increases across almost every category of wages, hours, working conditions and benefits for former and current players," he said. "Like any contested negotiation … the proposal also reflects trades with the counterparty which have to be carefully weighed and assessed across the entirety of the deal.

"Please be confident that I hear, loudly and clearly, those of you who have passionately expressed their perspective that these gains are not enough when weighed against, for example, adding another game. That position reflects how some members have chosen to weigh what aspect of the deal is important to them.

"The fact is, however, that there are literally hundreds of issues in any collective bargaining agreement that affect thousands of circumstances and impact thousands of current and former players which we must consider carefully."

2 more roster spots per team

Extending the season was a non-issue with the players in 2011, when the current 10-year deal was finalized after a 4 1/2 month lockout. But the gains they make in the new agreement in sharing "a bigger portion of the growing pie," according to outgoing NFLPA president Eric Winston, swayed the vote this time.

Among those gains:

• An increase from the 47 per cent of league revenues given to the players, with that percentage dependent on the length of the season.
• A reduction of the pre-season, initially from four games to three. More time off during training camps.
• Upgraded pensions, with the addition of groups of previous players not included in past agreements.
• Two more roster spots per team, from 53 to 55; that's 64 more jobs.
• Larger practice squads with fewer limitations on movement of those players.
• Narrowing the testing period for players for marijuana use, plus lowered discipline for using it; and a reduction in on-field fines.

Adding two playoff teams was not part of the bargaining process; the owners can do so without union approval. That is expected to occur this season, with only the top team in each conference getting a wild-card bye.

With labour peace for the rest of the decade, the NFL now will turn to negotiating new deals with its broadcast partners. Results of that, including digital media, should, as Winston mentioned, substantially grow the financial pie.