Agreed it is a CBA issue when the current agreement expires
But IMO the owners want the $$$$ by expanding the length of the season or playoffs since other means of generating more $$$$ are not panning out so far (such as NFL made noise about exercising its right to sell streaming, non-satellite, rights to Sunday Ticket to someone other than DirecTV after 2019 season but apparently nobody has stepped up with a good enough offer)
So the owners throw a few bones to the players on other issues (arbitrator rather than Goodell has final say on player discipline sanctions/no suspensions for marijuana if it is deemed to be for “medicinal” purposes) in return for an 18 game season