The NFL will have to wait at least a little longer before a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is finalized. On Friday, the NFLPA released the following statement announcing that a vote did not take place on Friday regarding the proposed CBA.
"Today, the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives did not take a vote on the principle terms of a proposed new collective bargaining agreement. Our player leadership looks forward to meeting with NFL management again next week before the board takes a vote shortly after."
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero has reported that a meeting has been scheduled between NFLPA leadership and members of the NFL council executive committee Tuesday in Indianapolis, the site of the NFL scouting combine. While no major changes are expected to be made to the current proposed CBA at that time, Pelissero said that the meeting will be a chance for players to voice some of their concerns and issues with the current CBA proposal.
After the two sides meet, the board of player representatives will vote on the new CBA Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. If two-thirds of player reps vote yes on the CBA, then it would be recommended to a vote of all players, which would need a simply majority vote (which would be conducted electronically) to pass.
"There are a lot of factors in this," Pelissero said, "but the biggest one is a fundamental opposition in expanding to a 17-game regular season schedule, the impact that that would have on future generations of players."
On Thursday, NFL owners met in New York City before approving the parameters of a potential CBA that would include the addition of a 17th week at some point during the new CBA as well as a two-team playoff expansion. Proposed terms of the new CBA also reportedly include fewer preseason games, more lenient drug testing and less punishment as it pertains to failed drug tests. The NFL is also reportedly offering its players a 48% share of league revenue, up from the current 47% share.
Several prominent NFL players, including Texans pass rusher J.J. Watt and 49ers conerback Richard Sherman, have spoken out against the owners' proposal on social media. The NFL and NFLPA have one year remaining on their current CBA, which won't expire until next offseason.
The last NFL lockout took place in 2011 before the NFL and NFLPA agreed on a new CBA after an 18-week hiatus from March 12 to July 25. In 1987, a player strike caused the league to lose one regular season game while also fielding replacement players for a quarter of the season. Five years earlier, a labor strike cut the 1982 regular season to just nine games. To help make up the loss, the NFL expanded its playoff field to 16 teams.
Ironically, the Redskins won the Super Bowl during both strike-shortened years, defeating the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII and the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.