The NFL Players Association voted to approve the proposed collective bargaining agreement on Sunday morning, ratifying the deal through the 2030 season.
The NFLPA released this statement following the vote:
And here's what NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had to say about the agreement:
Here are some of the major items that we know so far about the newly ratified CBA.
1. The playoff field will expand from 12 to 14 teams in 2020.
As part of the agreement, the postseason will be altered this upcoming season to include an additional wild card team from each conference. That means only one team from each conference will receive a first-round bye, with the No. 2 seeds matching up against the No. 7 seeds on Wild Card Weekend rather than receiving a bye. In total, the first weekend of postseason action will include six games
2. The regular-season schedule could expand to 17 games as early as 2021.
The 2020 regular season won't look any different, with four preseason contests and 16 regular season games, but that could change as early as 2021. The agreement permits the league to modify the schedule to include an additional regular-season game for every team sometime between the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
3. Team rosters are getting bigger.
Two practice squad players can be elevated to the active roster each week, meaning each roster will essentially increase by two players – from 53 to 55 – and the number of players active on game day will also grow by two spots, from 46 to 48. Practice squads are set to expand during the deal as well.