The votes were close, but despite all the interviews and tweets from NFL players urging a no vote, the new collective bargaining agreement has passed.

Via Twitter, the NFLPA released the following statement, ” NFL players have voted to approve ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement by a vote tally of 1,019 to 959. This result comes after a long and democratic process in accordance with our constitution. An independent auditor received submitted ballots through a secure electronic platform, then verified, tallied and certified the results.”

The labor deal between the league and players will last at least until 2030. Playoff expansion to 14 teams can begin during the 2020 season and a 17-game regular season can start as early as the 2021 season.

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