Players receive ballots for proposed CBA, have 7 days to vote

The NFL's proposed new collective bargaining agreement's language was finalized Wednesday night and ballots will be distributed to players Thursday to vote on the potential deal, the NFL Players Association announced.

Players have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 12, to submit their ballots.

Team owners approved the "principal elements" of a new deal in February and the NFLPA later chose to send the proposal to its full membership.

Players can vote at any point throughout the seven-day window but plan to wait the full week before formalizing the results, a source told ESPN's Jeff Darlington.

A 17-game regular season and two extra wild-card playoff contests are included in the proposed CBA. A number of players, including Aaron Rodgers and Richard Sherman, spoke out against the deal.

Despite the timing of the vote, the league doesn't plan to push back the franchise tag deadline or the start of free agency on March 18, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The full player membership needs to approve the deal by a simple majority. It will take effect immediately if approved.