The NFL and NFL Players Association will resume their negotiations towards a new collective bargaining agreement on Monday after taking the weekend off, according to ESPN.
The sides were using this weekend to assess their positions, before resuming talks in front of a federal mediator Monday — and then they will have until the end of Friday to reach a new CBA, thanks to two extensions of the old deal. It originally was to have expired last Thursday.
The league and players association reached an agreement to extend the current CBA by 24 hours on Thursday night and then extended it once again on Friday, this time for one week.
While the move to extend the negotiating window doesn’t guarantee a deal will be reached, it is a positive sign that both sides are open to discussion.
According to the report from ESPN, the main problem holding up a new deal is focused around money.
Money, not surprisingly, is what is at the center of the standoff.
In addition to the owners’ proposal Thursday, the union also has made concessions in the latest negotiations, sources on both sides told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. The details of those concessions are unknown.
Earlier Friday, sources familiar with the process told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the sides narrowed the financial gap between them by roughly $5 million per team per year. Nevertheless, a significant divide exists — roughly $25 million per team per year. With 32 teams in the league, the gap equates to $750 million to $800 million per year.