A new NFL CBA passed Saturday night, albeit by a slim margin, which means there will be labor peace through the 2030 season.
It was a "contentious" process, according to NFL Players Association Executive Committee member Benjamin Watson.
"It was very contentious, but I think that's a good thing," he said via The Boston Herald. "Honestly, I'm glad that our men were engaged. We had very high voter turnout, which is what we talk about in America all the time. So our men were very engaged in the process.
"I found this to be very informative, especially the last week or so with the different conference calls for each team, with the guys' questions being answered . . . how much time we spent on each part of the CBA, understanding it," he continued. "Because it's a very difficult agreement. It's very comprehensive. On the one hand, people may think it's really simple. But it encompasses so many different areas. For someone who's not a lawyer, or a negotiator in that respect, as workers, it takes time to digest all of this."
Here are some of the key components of the new CBA.
-- Playoffs will be expanded beginning in 2020 with one additional team in each conference. Only one team in each conference will get a first-round bye, so there will be two additional games on Wild Card Weekend.
-- Beginning in 2021, the league has the option to expand to a 17-game regular season. This will likely happen in 2021 or in 2022.
-- Game-day rosters will have 48 players instead of 46 with a minimum of eight offensive linemen.
-- Practice squads will go from 10 players to 12 players, and then 14 players starting in 2022.
-- Minimum-salary players will receive immediate pay increases of at least $90,000.
-- Players can no longer be suspended for most cases involving marijuana.
