The NFL Players Association board of representatives will not vote Friday on the proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement voted on by NFL ownership Thursday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported per a source.
The board and NFLPA executive committee are now scheduled to meet Tuesday with the NFL Management Council Executive Committee in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine with a board vote following that, Pelissero added. The turn of events comes just a day after NFL owners approved terms on a proposed new CBA as negotiated between the league and NFLPA.
Earlier on Friday, the NFLPA executive committee voted, 6-5, not to recommend the current CBA proposal, per Pelissero. As that was a recommendation, the matter then went to the 32-player board of representatives. Talks continued thereafter through Friday for roughly three hours before the news broke that a vote would no longer take place.
"Today, the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives did not take a vote on the principal terms of a proposed new collective bargaining agreement," the NFLPA said in a statement Friday. "Our player leadership looks forward to meeting with NFL management again next week before the board takes a vote shortly after."
Following ownership approval on Thursday, the proposal was brought to the players and their representatives on Friday, needing a two-thirds majority vote to move into the stage of a final vote. Of course, a vote never transpired.
Among the matters at hand in the proposal were the option to expand to a 17-game regular season, an increase in players' share of total revenue to at least 48 percent and the expansion of the playoff field to 14 teams beginning in 2020.
As Pelissero pointed out, the executive committee -- led by president Eric Winston -- is negotiating the deal. There have been members, namely vice presidents Richard Sherman and Russell Okung, who have voiced opposition.
Described by Pelissero as a heated and emotional Friday conference call, it began with the executive committee voting not to recommend the proposed CBA. The board continued to discuss it before agreeing not to vote on Friday. The next step is going to be what the NFLPA leadership hopes will be a meeting with the NFL Management Council, which negotiates on the league side, at the combine. After that, the board intends to carry out its vote.
Pelissero also noted the vote of the rank-and-file players in its entirety was prognosticated to be a yes, but there is now a delay as the players union looks to see if there is any wiggle room on the league side.
In addition to the aforementioned changes, among the other changes at hand were shortening the preseason schedule to three games, personal-conduct violations going to a neutral arbitrator rather than Commissioner Roger Goodell, and fifth-year options being fully guaranteed and tied to performance, not draft position.
If an agreement comes to be, the CBA could be thrust into effect in time for the new league year on March 18, which could change free agency and the salary cap.
