Report: Cowboys' Jerry Jones Said CBA Talks Would 'Get Bad' If Players Voted No

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly struck an ominous tone in a meeting with player reps before they voted on whether to send the proposed NFL collective bargaining agreement to the entire union.

An agent told Mike Sando of The Athletic:

"Jerry said to the players, 'Listen, you are all going to get more money, you are going to win.' ... He told them if they wanted to vote against, that was their right, but then it was going to get bad. He said he wasn't threatening them, just saying what was going to happen. He said there were certain things he wanted in the deal that he could not have, like caps on what every position can make. The players still had 15 of 32 reps not vote for it ... but I thought what Jerry said was very interesting."

Player reps voted 17-14 (with one abstention) to send the proposed CBA to the union, and players will individually vote on whether to ratify the new 10-year agreement. A majority of players must approve of the CBA for it to be ratified.

NFL owners have already voted in favor of the agreement.

The biggest point of contention remains a proposed 17th game. The proposal in front of players gives the NFL an option to add an additional regular-season game and two more Wild Card Round matchups (one per conference). Numerous star players have come out against the proposal, including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman.

"Health and Wellness of our men is always the most important aspect," Sherman tweeted. "There is no price you can put on that and that is why I Voted No. I respect the Men that have been part of this discussion and stood up for their locker rooms."

A person close to negotiations on the players' side told Peter King of NBC Sports that a work stoppage is likely if the players reject the current proposal.

"If players vote no, it's simple: There will either be a lockout in 2021 or we will strike. We all want 16 games, and I understand that. But there is no 16-game option. If we want 16 games, we have to be prepared for a job action," the person said.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires in March 2021. Ownership is pushing to get a deal done now so it can provide a united front when negotiating new television contracts. The 17th week of the regular season and extra wild-card games are among the biggest pitches the NFL is expected to give to streaming and television partners.