With the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement set to pass at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday night, the NFL has reportedly requested an extension in hopes of getting a deal done before a lockout takes place. The NFLPA, locked in mediation with the owners, is reportedly mulling the offer over, looking for guarantees that the two sides will make progress. If a deal cannot get done, the union is expected to decertify ahead of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement, setting up a lengthy legal battle.
The report comes from Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter on Twitter, who outlined why the NFLPA is hesitant to agree to the deal.
Source: NFL's owners and players discussing extending deadline. no decision made yet. story upcoming on si.com. i'm told the owners requested the extension; union wants indications that it's a serious step toward a resolution.
The NFLPA wants to make sure this isn't a public relations move by the league, trying to paint the union as the bad guy if a deal doesn't get done or an extension isn't agreed to. From all indications, the two sides are still on different pages, nowhere close to an agreement. In that regard, if talks are still stalled, an extension is nothing more than symbolic.
The NFLPA and owners are still meeting at the bargaining table ahead of Thursday night's deadline. Stay tuned for the latest from the talks at our NFL lockout StoryStream.