WALIEA, Hawaii (March 13, 2006) -- NFL player union representatives unanimously approved the extension of the collective bargaining agreement with the league.
With 31 of the 32 player reps on hand, the vote to ratify terms of the new CBA went swiftly. The NFLPA membership next will vote on the contract extension, with passage considered a certainty.
Last Wednesday, NFL owners voted 30-2 to extend the agreement with the players.
"The players have worked very hard to make this game the best in the world," NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw said. "The players are committed to ensuring that the game of football remains on the field and not in the courtroom."
The deal will carry the NFL through the 2011 season, with $850 million to $900 million in players' salary added over the life of the deal because of a revenue-sharing component. Only the top 15 revenue teams in each year will be required to pay into that part of the salary pool.
Under the extension, the salary cap moved up to $102 million this year, $7.5 million more than it would have been without a deal, and 20 percent higher than the 2005 figure of $85.5 million. The cap will increase to $109 million in 2007, which would have been an uncapped year without the agreement.
