Report: NFLPA Vote on 17-Game Season, Expanded Playoff 'Possible' Thursday

The NFL and its players' union have reached a critical step in the league's quest to expand the season to 17 games with a potential NFL Players Association vote coming as early as Thursday.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, player representatives for all 32 teams are scheduled to discuss the NFL's latest collective bargaining proposal, which includes a reduction in preseason games, an additional regular-season game and a likely expansion of the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams.

"It's possible, but not definite, that the reps will vote at this meeting on the proposed CBA, according to those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are at such a sensitive stage," Maske wrote. "Even those in leadership positions with the NFLPA were uncertain Wednesday what the outcome would be."

If two-thirds of the player representatives approve the measures, the vote would then go to the full NFLPA, which would need a simple majority to sign off on the new CBA.

The current CBA is set to expire following the 2020 season, and according to Maske, the vote on this CBA marks a crucial point in negotiations, as owners see a 17-game schedule as a viable way to increase revenue when the league negotiates its next television rights deal.

In return for increasing the schedule, the owners would provide players with concessions such as "favorable" changes to the league's player discipline and drug policies—including likely making marijuana violations less punitive—while also likely adding increased restrictions to offseason works and team sanctioned practice programs. Players would also receive a slight increase from the 48 percent of revenue sharing under the salary-cap system.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported a source estimated the new deal "would mean an extra $5 billion in revenue to the players over the life of the deal." A drastic reduction in marijuana-related punishments was also mentioned, as well as the league's personal conduct policy becoming more player-friendly.

The source also said likely inclusions included "improvements to player benefits (current and former), higher minimum cash spending floors for the teams and some structural changes to rules involving the franchise tag and the fifth-year option for first-round draft picks."

Already the league is putting considerable pressure on the players to vote in favor of this CBA and its increased schedule.

According to Maske, failure to pass this CBA at the next NFLPA vote could start the league down the road to a lockout after next season:

"If the players reject the proposed CBA because of opposition to a 17-game season, it's likely that the league and owners would consider that a major setback in the negotiations. Many on the league side believe it is now the responsibility of the NFLPA leadership, including executive director DeMaurice Smith, to usher the proposed deal through the ratification process to completion. A breakdown in negotiations at this point could lead both sides to intensify their preparations for a potential work stoppage in 2021."

With the talent pool in football teeming with generational athletes—and players more inclined to retire earlier than ever—a lockout could be detrimental to both sides here; however, the last time the league endured a lockout in 2011, only the preseason Hall of Fame Game was canceled. The rest of the season went on as scheduled.