NFL Rumors: 'Significant Progress' Made on New CBA Ahead of Owners Meeting

NFL owners are set to meet in New York this week to discuss negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, as "significant progress has been made," according to Michael Silver of NFL Network.

A new deal could be ratified by March 18 and take effect for the upcoming league year, though owners and the NFLPA "remain far apart on some outstanding issues," per Silver.

The current CBA is set to expire after the 2020 season.

As Silver noted, a new CBA could be predicated on the introduction of a 17-game schedule, which the owners have been pushing for consistently.

According to Mike Jones of USA Today, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith indicated in a memo to the players' association in January that a 17-game schedule would be likely, coming with a shortened preseason and possible expanded playoff field.

Meanwhile, the players would receive an increase in guaranteed revenue and minimum salaries as well as more injury protection.

The new CBA could also reduce the duration of the drug-testing window from almost four months to just two weeks, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The changes could also reduce the penalties for those who test positive for marijuana.

The two sides will have to iron out the details before coming to an agreement, with everyone surely hoping to avoid a lockout for the 2021 season.