Shortly after the NFL and the players’ union agreed to extend their negotiating period by seven days, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed optimism that negotiations will lead to a deal -- rather than leading to the two sides meeting in a courtroom.
“This is going to get resolved through negotiations, not litigation,” Goodell said. “Talking is better than litigating.”
Goodell said he and his team will work through the weekend, but there will be no progress on negotiations until next week.
“This is the good news for you: You can go home,” Goodell told a reporter who asked whether they’d keep talking through the weekend.
George Cohen of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said there’s reason for optimism, saying 11 days of “constructive discussion” have yielded significant progress.
And Jeff Pash, the NFL’s chief negotiator, also said he’s looking forward to “a solid week of negotiations.”
“There’s been a tremendous amount of discussion,” Pash said. “It’s time for us to dig deep and try to find solutions, try to be creative and try to compromise in a way that will work for everybody. The Commissioner has been very clear: If both sides give a little, everybody can gain a lot.”