The NFL today has averted a major crisis that would have severely damaged previously amicable labor relations. The teams' owners have agreed to extend the collective bargaining agreement six years, accepting the union's final offer just hours before the deadline. With no CBA extension, the NFL and the players would have faced slashed payrolls in 2006 and no salary cap for the 2007 season.
See "Labor deal averts doomsday
Teams use their heads, accept player proposal for 6-year pact", Nancy Gray, San Francisco Chronicle, March 8, 2006