The NFL and the NFL Players Association continue to meet with a federal mediator in Chantilly to try to hash out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement before a lockout, but as it turns out, they may get more time to do so than originally anticipated. NFL general council Jeff Pash said the league is open to extending the deadline before the expiration of the current CBA past Thursday at 11:59 p.m.
Via Albert Breer of the NFL Network:
NFL owners would be open to extending the deadline for expiration of the collective bargaining agreement beyond Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET, NFL general council Jeff Pash said Wednesday morning before the league and the NFL Players Association resumed labor negotiations at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service office of George Cohen.
"I think we have to see where we're at," Pash said. "I think that's option. We're not taking anything off the table.
This obviously guarantees nothing, but is a significant admission that could be a step forward toward an eventual agreement being reached. If the deadline is not extended, the two sides will only have until 11:59 on March 3 before a lockout takes place. At that point, all activity would stop, save for the NFL Draft on April 28-30.
It's possible that one reason for a possible extension is Tuesday's night's ruling that the league would not be able to receive television revenue in the event of a lockout.