The NFL and NFL Players Association are said to be considering extending mediated negotiations beyond tonight’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, which is when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
The phrase being used to describe the action is “stopping the clock.” Meaning, the clock ticking inevitably toward a lockout of NFL players.
Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweeted that an extension is “possible to likely.” SI’s Don Banks called it “legit but fragile.”
NFL.com points out that a similar extension was used during the 2006 CBA negotiations and that a deal was ultimately collectively bargained. Also according to NFL.com for an extension to happen federal judge David Doty would have to sign off on it and paperwork would need to be done by late this afternoon.
An extension would put the lockout on hold. It would also put the players’ plan to decertify their union on hold for the time being.
Even President Obama weighed in today on the possible lockout.
“I hope they can work it out w/o me intervening, because as it turns out, I’ve got a lot of other stuff to do,” Obama said.