Good news, football fans...we think.
We've been saying the chances of the NFL and NFLPA coming to an agreement before Thursday night's deadline is basically non-existent. That's still the case. However, we've also been saying the best case scenario right now would be an extension to the current deal buying both sides time to come to an agreement.
A pair of tweets from ESPN's Adam Schefter suggests an extension is now a possibility.
This is getting more interesting than most thought. Three sources: Extension of talks now a definite possibility. Doesn't mean it will happen, but owners pushing for an extension of talks. Players willing if owners make some concessions.
Keep in mind Schefter was tweeting early on Thursday that fans shouldn't get their hopes up. This is a quick change in attitude for him.
We're not sure where the extension talk is suddenly coming from but, as a football fan, I'll definitely take it. Perhaps playing a role in this is the latest decision in the league's TV contracts case which may end up locking them out of the $4 billion in TV money they were previously expecting to receive. Maybe that was enough lost leverage for the league to push for a deal done?
The NFL said this week they weren't taking any options off the table, and that includes an extension so, stay tuned. This may be more interesting than we thought.