NFL players to vote on new 10-year labour deal

Players received ballots from the NFLPA on Thursday to vote on a proposed 10-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement.

They have seven days to submit their vote. The ballots are due on March 12, the players’ union said in a statement.

A “yes” from a simple majority of the players in the union would bring an unprecedented 11 years of labour peace to the NFL.

Among the central points in the new CBA sparking debate among players is the addition of a 17th regular-season game starting in 2021, which NFLPA executive director Demaurice Smith implied was tied to the reduction of the pre-season from four games per team to three.

NFL player representatives voted 17-14-1 to approve the deal at the scouting combine, clearing the way for the full union vote.

While superstars who have hit Us$100-million paydays such as Russell Wilson and J.J. Watt were quickly and heavily critical of the proposed pact, several player reps indicated the deal serves the majority of the union in multiple ways.

That includes the addition of downtime in the off-season, as well as immediate raises for those making at or near minimum NFL salaries.

There is also additional money set aside for practice squad players and the expansion of game-day rosters, which will be tied to higher wages for those added or activated on game day.

The playoffs would be expanded to 14 teams from 12 under the proposal.

Under the proposal, players also would receive a greater percentage of revenue, set to increase from 47 per cent to 48 per cent and go as high as 48.5 per cent. During the lifetime of the agreement, the increase is projected to result in a total of $5 billion in extra pay for players.