The NFL owners and NFL Players Association will resume talking on Tuesday, March 1st, according to multiple media reports. We knew the two sides were meeting at on Tuesday but we didn't know what time.
A 1:00 p.m. start time doesn't suggest to the outside world that these two sides are serious about getting a deal done. The current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. on March 3rd so, with 60 hours or so remaining, the two sides have decided to...wait until the afternoon to start.
Perhaps they're meeting in smaller groups negotiating other items but the public perception is that neither side wants to, or will get a deal done by Thursday night.
So where do the two sides stand as they return to negotiations under the watchful eye of a federal mediator?
George Cohen, FMCS' mediator involved in the negotiations, said last Thursday that the two sides had made some progress but there were still significant differences in the core issues. That statement suggested that there was still a long way to go.
The NFLPA is based in Washington D.C., site of the negotiations. The NFL owners will make their way to Washington D.C. on Wednesday and Thursday for meetings. That will either be a meeting toasting to a new CBA or a lockout planning session.