NFLPA ratifies proposed CBA; 2020 salary cap set

Under a tight vote, with 1,019 players voting yes over 959 voting no, the players have ratified the proposed CBA. The agreement will be valid through 2030. Over 500 players didn’t participate in the vote.

CBA Highlights

Here are some of the key highlights of the new CBA that will change things we are used to from the NFL:

• Owners will have the option to expand regular season games from 16 to 17 between 2021-2023.
• Playoff format will include two additional teams; one from each conference. Only one team will get a first round bye beginning this season.
• Active rosters will expand from 46 to 48, with one of those extra players mandated as an offensive lineman.
• Game week roster sizes will increase from 53 to 55.
• Practice squads expand to 12 this year and jumps to 14 in 2022.
• Minimum salary’s for practice squad players will rise from $8,000 per week to $11,500 per week by 2022.
• Player’s will get 47% of all league revenue beginning in 2020. CBA calls for an expansion up to 48.8% if certain conditions are met.
• League minimum salary’s also increases each year under the current CBA reading $1.065 million in 2030.

Some big changes on the horizon for everyone.

2020 Salary Cap

One surprising bit of news that came out was the salary cap numbers for 2020. Many expected it to be $200 million or even higher, but the final salary cap number came to $198.2 million, according to Field Yates. That is a 5.3% increase over 2019 and as Bill Barnwell noted, the smallest increase in salary cap since 2013.

That will knock the Denver Broncos expected salary cap space down a few million. It should stand at somewhere around $43 million after slapping the franchise tag on Justin Simmons last week. Though, they can bring it back up to $53 million once they cut Joe Flacco.

Update: The final numbers are out and the Broncos salary cap looks to be at $38.6 million now, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. That would mean they would have closer to $48.6 million once Joe Flacco is cut.

With these two major issues now resolved (CBA and Salary Cap), NFL Free Agency can begin in earnest.