Regular Season Will Have 17 Games

There will be an additional regular season game added to the schedule. A move that owners have always wanted but has been largely criticized by players.

An addition of game 17 will obviously generate more revenue in tickets, concessions, parking, broadcasting deals, etc. but players are now putting their bodies at risk for yet another week in the NFL.

Preseason Down to 3 Games

Since there’s now 17 regular season games, the CBA also calls to cut a preseason game. Each team will play three preseason games, instead of four, beginning in 2021, with the fourth week turning into a bye.

Joint practices will also be limited in training camp and cuts were made to padded vs non-padded practices.

New Revenue Split

Players are guaranteed to receive 48% of the league’s overall revenue beginning in 2021, with the ability to increase that share to 48.8% “through a media kicker which applies in any season the league plays 17 games,” according to an NFLPA fact sheet that was released before the deal was finalized.

The 2011 CBA, guaranteed players 47% of revenue.

Drugs & Discipline

The new CBA significantly relaxes the rules on drug testing with regards to marijuana by narrowing the window for testing (from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp) and reducing the number of players who are subjected to testing.

The deal also increases the level of THC that qualifies as a positive test and reduces penalties, including the elimination of suspensions, for players who test positive.

(Josh Gordon must be pissed)

New CBA will stipulate that “a neutral decision-maker” will now rule on most commissioner discipline cases. taking some of the disciplinary power out of the hand out of the comissioner’s hands.

Roster sizes increased

The new deal expands the size of NFL rosters from 53 players to 55, while allowing two additional players to be active on game days.

It also calls for larger practice squads and better compensation for practice-squad players. Under this deal, practice squads could soon increase to as many as 14 players per team, each making $10,500 per week — an increase of $2,500.

A new playoff format

Also wrapped up in the deal, starting as early as next season, the playoff field will expand from six teams per conference to seven, with only the top seed in each conference earning a bye week.