Just after our last update, which said there probably wouldn’t be any more information from the NFL due to the “extreme sensitivity” of the negotiations, this article appeared on NFL.com, giving more information:
The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to seven consecutive days of negotiations, a league source told NFL Network insider Albert Breer on Thursday, and the sides also will allow mediation in their labor dispute.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent U.S. government agency, will oversee negotiations in Washington D.C., beginning Friday, two weeks before the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union expires.
While negotiations could last seven days, they might go just a few days, sources on both sides cautioned, according to NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.
The fact that a schedule has been carved out is a positive sign, but the arc of these kinds of talks generally is up and down, and deals are usually struck at the last possible minute.
Translated: they might talk for a week. Or they might not. And they might make a deal, but they might not. And if they do make a deal, it could come at the very end of this period. Or not.
Clear as mud, we know. We’ll post further updates as they become available. (Or not.)