It looks like your favorite NFL team will have 17 games a season in the coming years. According to reports, the NFL players voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with the league's owners, ensuring NFL labor peace through at least 2030 and clearing the way for a 17-game regular season as early as 2021.
The vote, which required a simple majority to pass, received 51.5% approval (1,019 to 959) from players. As a result, the new CBA will allow the NFL to expand its regular season from 16 to 17 games as early as 2021 and expand the playoff field from 12 teams to 14 as soon as the 2020 season. It also includes higher minimum salaries ($198.2 million salary cap), improvements to benefits for current and former players, expanded rosters and practice squads, and changes to the league's drug and discipline policies, all of which will go into effect in 2020.
"We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA, which will provide substantial benefits to 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."
Commissioner Roger Goodell also issued a statement, saying: "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.”