The NFL lockout may end on Thursday night. The ball is now officially in the court of the NFL Players Association. The NFL owners voted unanimously to accept the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the players are expected to vote on the new CBA at 8 p.m.
The vote was 31-0, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining, according to NFL Network. Why Al Davis decided to do that is a mystery. The vote was mostly a formality, since owners had already pledged their support behind the new deal.
NFLPA leadership is currently scheduled to talk with the player representatives at 8 p.m. It is not clear whether the players will vote. The current hold-up is whether the lockout will end officially after the players re-certify as a union or before. Currently, they are still technically de-certified.
For much more on the status of the NFL lockout, head over to SBNation.com's massive StoryStream.