The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to a seven-day extension of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, staving off a lockout until next Friday for the time being, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter. The owners and the Players Association will continue discussions in front of a mediator on Monday as they hope to come to an agreement on a new CBA.

The news comes after the two sides agreed to a 24-hour extension on Thursday, in a move most believed was simply a mechanism to extend the discussion for a longer extension. The Players' Association was concerned an extension of the talks would merely be a delay mechanism and not an actual positive step toward a resolution, but obviously they overcame those concerns.

Had the talks not been extended, the Players Association was likely to decertify itself as a union, freeing it up to file anti-trust lawsuits against the league. Instead, this is a positive sign that the two sides are working towards an agreement. Lots of issues still remain, but there is much more optimism now than earlier in the week.