NFL CBA Negotiations Resume As New Agreement Could Be Near

The NFL and players resume their nearly round-the-clock negotiations this morning at 9:00am ET in Manhattan, and a deal to end the four-month-old lockout could be near. The sides reached an agreement on a new rookie wage system that will roughly halve what top picks have been getting. But while reports last night said the NFLPA has agreed to end judicial oversight of the labor relationship, a key source on the league side said the issue had not been discussed for weeks.

The sides for the moment seem on track to have a deal ready for the owners to vote on Thursday in Atlanta. Details still to be worked out include judicial oversight, the disposition of the antitrust case, and retiree issues (Daniel Kaplan, SportsBusiness Journal).

Sources on both sides are "as optimistic as possible that a settlement to the players' antitrust lawsuit, which would result in a new CBA, could be struck as soon as today, although insiders said a resolution this weekend or early next week is more likely" (N.Y. POST, 7/15).