When we last checked in with Robbie Gould, the Bears’ kicker and NFLPA* representative, he was ripping greedy owners and saying any of his fellow players who hadn’t saved up money for a lengthy lockout were foolish.
That was a couple months ago. In what may be a sign of the progress that’s been made in the NFL’s labor negotiations, Gould has now softened his tone.
“I think at the end of the day, when you get a group of people in the room working like they are working to get a deal done, a settlement will be reached and we will be playing football,” Gould told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s just as to what date we’re going to be back and when.”
Gould has echoed NFLPA* Executive Director DeMaurice Smith in cautioning that no one should think there have been major developments and that a deal is imminent, but he nonetheless sounds confident that a deal is coming.
“We are going to play football,” Gould said, “we really are.”