Just under a decade after a lockout, there is now a legitimate chance the NFL will avoid another work stoppage.
With the owners approving the new collective bargaining agreement by a 31-1 vote, it now moves to the NFLPA for the players to ratify. While it isn’t clear if this version of the CBA will get the players union’s stamp of approval, there is enough agreed upon at least that another lockout seems unlikely at this point.
So what would this new agreement mean for everyone? Well the biggest headline is the inclusion a longer regular season (17 games, up from 16), a shorter preseason (three games, down from four) and an larger playoff field (14 teams up from 12 and only the top seed in each conference getting a first round bye).