What the New CBA Means for the Cincinnati Bengals

The collective bargaining agreement has officially been ratified. Here’s what it means for the Cincinnati Bengals and their players. 

According to the National Football League Player Association, the new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified in a vote of 1,019 to 959.

The news comes just one day before the legal tampering period and three days before the free agency period is slated to begin.

Some of the major points of emphasis include players receiving an increased share of revenue, a 17-game regular season beginning in 2021, and an expanded playoff field of 14 teams, starting next year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As far as the playoffs go, each conference will now be represented by 7 teams and only the first seed will receive a bye week. For a Cincinnati Bengals organization attempting to end the 29-year postseason drought, the new agreement will give them more room for error to sneak into the playoffs.

Joe Mixon had previously taken to Twitter to share his discontent with the agreement, especially the extra game added to each season. The former Sooner star running back has his contract set to expire after the 2020 season. The recent developments will undoubtedly play a role in how things pan out in his extension talks with Cincinnati.

In all likelihood, contract negotiations between long-time star wide receiver, A.J. Green, and the Bengals were put on hold until this agreement was in place. Now with a deal running through 2030 set in stone, expect talks to pick back up again and Green’s future to be determined shortly.

The franchise tag deadline is Monday, March 16th. At this point, the most likely outcome appears to be the team utilizing the tag on Green and then continuing to work towards a long term agreement. The front office will have until July 15 to do so.

The salary cap has also been set at $198.2 million, per Schefter, giving Duke Tobin and the Bengals plenty of room to work in free agency moving forward, should they choose to do so.

The collective football world can now breathe a sigh of relief, as there will be no work stoppage, thanks to the new agreement.