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WASHINGTON -- A day after NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith indicated that an 18-game schedule was off the bargaining table amid the ongoing CBA talks between the union and NFL, a person with knowledge of the talks refutes the claim, saying the union hasn't expressed that during the negotiations and that the 18-game schedule is still on the table as far as the league is concerned.
"Can't say where this thing is headed tomorrow, but can say that 18 games is not an option for our players,'' union president Kevin Mawae texted USA TODAY's Jim Corbett when asked about the elongated season and the current state of negotiations.
Tomorrow's deadline could produce an agreement, another extension of the talks or, barring those options, a lockout by owners and/or a decertification by the union.
The back and forth on key issues continued on Thursday.
Yesterday, Smith told Sports Illustrated:
"First of all, the league has never presented a formal proposal for 18 games.
"But more importantly, it's something that our players don't want. Eighteen games is not in the best interest of our players' safety, so we're not doing it."
The NFL has been proposing an "enhanced" regular season, saying adding two regular-season games in place of two preseason games gives ticket holders better value.
However the plan has drawn criticism from players, especially amid heightened sensitivity to concussions and subsequent effects of brain trauma.
"My body is cheering after hearing the 18 game season talk is off the table!" tweeted Cardinals Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald after last night's SI report.
The two sides began their 15th bargaining session at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services office (aka 2100 K Street NW in D.C.) on Thursday morning, with the league bringing back heavy hitters from its labor committee as a Friday night deadline looms.
Four owners -- Jerry Jones, Art Rooney, John Mara and Clark Hunt -- arrived on Thursday morning. Packers president Mark Murphy and four other owners -- Pat Bowlen, Jerry Richardson, Dean Spanos and Mike Brown -- are expected later.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the two sides have slightly closed the $1 billion-per-year gap in the principle economic issue of determining the revenue split, to less than $700 million. And the sides have apparently agreed on a rookie wage scale, according to Yahoo!
Yet there's still enough angst and rhetoric being expressed that suggests the talks could break down without a new collective bargaining agreement -- which of course would trigger court battles and a possible shutdown of the sport.
The NFL, originally seeking an 18% rollback, hasn't shown enough of its books to satisfy the players union. The union has for years had audit rights to verify league revenues (which climbed to $9.3 billion in 2010), but has demanded to see more of the costs.
On CNBC this morning, Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, an NFLPA executive committee member, labeled the numbers the owners have offered to disclose as "laughable" and "disrespectful."
Bottom line: talk on.
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