The NFL is guaranteed labor peace through the 2030 season thanks to players approving the collective bargaining agreement.

The CBA was approved by a majority of the league’s players in balloting that ended at midnight Saturday. With the NFLPA announcing Sunday that 1,019 players approved the proposal and 959 voted against it, the CBA was approved by 51.5% of the dues-paying membership.

Nobody is happier than Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II that the league will have 11 more years of labor peace.

“We are excited to have come to terms with the NFLPA on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that I believe is fair for the players, teams, and our fans,” Rooney said in a statement. “Many people worked very hard at finalizing this agreement. It is a win-win arrangement that will allow the NFL to continue to grow and provide significant increased benefits to both current and retired players.”

The NFLPA said the results were verified by an independent auditor. The union’s membership consists of approximately 2,500 players, meaning that more than 500 chose not to vote.

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 15, 2020

The CBA features increased revenue for players, a higher minimum salary for rookies and veterans, an expanded playoff field from 12 to 14 teams this season and a 17-game schedule starting as early as the 2021 season. Roster sizes will increase from 53 to 55 players, and active rosters on gameday will increase from 46 players to 48.

Players will receive relaxed offseason work conditions, fewer padded practices in training camp and a three-game preseason once the NFL moves forward with a 17-game season. The CBA also reduces the window of drug testing for marijuana from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp. It also reduces the number of players subject to drug testing.

“We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the new CBA, which will provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety, and give our fans more and better football,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

The main sticking point was the 17-game season. Several notable NFL players strongly objected to the CBA proposal, including Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. The union’s board of player representatives narrowly approved by a 17-14 vote (with one abstention) to pass the proposal onto the membership.

“We pick up a greater share of revenues, make significant gains to minimum salaries and increase our post-career benefits,” incoming NFLPA president and Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter said in a statement. “For players past, this deal reaches back in an unprecedented way to increase pensions, benefits and make resources available to them.

“We understand that not all deals are perfect, and we don’t take the gains we wanted but couldn’t get, lightly. We now must unite and move forward as a union. The interest and passion on the issues that our members have voiced in the past several weeks needs to continue.”

The CBA goes into effect when the new league year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. and will benefit the Steelers, who may have been required to release several veteran players under the old work rules in order to get compliant with the salary cap.

“It is great that we can now move forward and allow the focus to remain on our team’s preparations for free agency, the draft, and then the 2020 season without any disruptions associated with the absence of a new labor agreement,” Rooney II said.

Ratification of the CBA will enable teams such as the Steelers that have little room under $198.2 million salary cap to restructure contracts into future seasons.

The cap figure was set Sunday by the NFL Management Council and is lower than the $200 million that was projected. According to salary-tracking website spotrac.com, the Steelers are projected to be $3,475,167 over the cap when the league year begins Wednesday.

The Steelers must decide whether to tender a $16.2 million franchise tag on outside linebacker Bud Dupree by Monday at 11:59 p.m. In order to accommodate Dupree’s tender and be compliant with the cap, the Steelers will need to release veterans or restructure contracts.

Veteran guard Ramon Foster, the team’s player representative, and backup outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo are the top candidates to be released. The Steelers also are expected to get salary-cap relief by extending the contract of defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.

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