Breaking: NFL Owners Approve New CBA Proposal

The vote will go to the Players Union in the coming days for approval, which if granted, will ensure continued labor peace for the league over the next several years.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Owners voted to approve terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that would span the next decade, the league announced.

"Following more than ten 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 league said in a statement released shortly after the vote was conducted among the owners.

Full details of the new CBA haven't been announced, but among the highlights that have been reported via multiple sources include a 17-game regular season, two additional teams added to the playoff field, and a shortened preseason. 

NFL owners voted to approve new CBA agreed to w/NFLPA. Up to the players to ratify Friday. Owners met for 2 hrs at Conrad Hotel here in NYC.
Reported terms: 17 reg season games no earlier than 2021; 3 preseason games (uncertain if starts in 2020); 2 extra playoff teams in 2020

— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) February 20, 2020

The league-issued statement noted that the next step would be for the NFLPA--the players union--to approve the terms of the new CBA.

 According to multiple reports, the player reps have a conference call scheduled for Friday, at which point they'll vote whether to accept the terms of the new CBA.

If they approve it, some of the rules that had been suspended for the final league year, such as using one of the franchise or transition tags, will be reinstated.

If the players do not approve the new CBA's terms, both sides will proceed under the terms of the original 2020 league year, per the league's statement. 

"Since the clubs and players need to have a system in place and know the rules that they will operate under by next week, the membership also approved moving forward under the final year of the 2011 CBA if the players decide not to approve the negotiated terms."