The NFLPA membership has voted in favor of the CBA, the first domino to fall in what promises to be a busy week for the NFL -- maybe.
Players had until 11:59 p.m. Saturday night to ratify the new CBA, which runs through the 2030 season. According to reports, the vote was very close. A majority was all that was needed.
“NFL players have voted to approve ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement by a vote tally of 1,019 to 959,” the union announced on Twitter. “This result comes after a long and democratic process in accordance with our constitution. An independent auditor received submitted ballots through a secure electronic platform, then verified, tallied and certified the results.”
The new CBA had received pushback from a number of star players across the league, including the Steelers' Maurkice Pouncey.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement immediately after the vote was made public.
"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. 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," Goodell wrote.
With the new deal in place, the NFL will now decide whether it wants to push back the start of the new league year, currently scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Several reports have surfaced saying the league is considering moving that date back due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has limited travel across the country.
The new deal will run through the 2030 season and includes the potential for the league to go to a 17-game regular season, though that cannot happen until the 2021 season at the earliest. The league also will expand the playoff field by two teams, meaning seven teams from each conference will reach the postseason. That will take effect in 2020.
"We are excited to have come to terms with the NFLPA on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that I believe is fair for the players, teams, and our fans," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement released by the team. "Many people worked very hard at finalizing this agreement. It is a win-win arrangement that will allow the NFL to continue to grow and provide significant increased benefits to both current and retired players.
"It is great that we can now move forward and allow the focus to remain on our team's preparations for free agency, the draft, and then the 2020 season without any disruptions associated with the absence of a new labor agreement."
Also included are increases in the minimum salaries that will begin in 2020. Active rosters also will be increased from 53 to 55 players. Practice squads also will increase.
Players also got improvements to benefits for current and former players and changes to the league's drug and discipline policies, all of which will go into effect in 2020. The deal would increase the players' share of league revenue from 47 percent to 48 percent in 2021 and to at least 48.5 percent in any season in which 17 regular-season games are played.
The deal, which came as a result of eight months of negotiations between the league and the NFLPA's Executive Committee, was sent out to players for a vote in late February.
With the new deal in place, the NFL informed teams the salary cap for 2020 will be $198.2 million, a $10 million increase from 2019.
But any gains are nominal. While the cap will increase, so will minimum salaries across the board, with veteran and rookie minimum deals going up around $100,000.
But having the new deal in place also changes the rules for contracts going into free agency. Had the NFL begun its new league year without a new CBA in place, teams would not have been permitted to raise or lower a player's base salary by more or less than 30 percent in any future seasons, in addition to some other rules.
Teams also will now only be permitted to use one tag designation for a player currently on their roster. Had the new deal not been ratified, teams would have been permitted to use both the franchise and transition tags in 2020.
NFL teams have until 11:59 a.m. Monday to use the tags. The Steelers are expected to use the franchise tag designation on outside linebacker Bud Dupree.
That could be easier with the new CBA in place. With a $198.2 million cap in place, the Steelers are right at the cap number.
Now, with the 30-percent rule no longer in effect, the team can create more cap space using simple restructures as it typically does each year.
Candidates for restructured deals -- turning base salary into signing bonus while reducing the base salary in the calendar year -- include cornerback Steven Nelson, defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt and guard David DeCastro.
Simple restructures on those three players would create around $13 million in additional salary cap space.
