Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network reported on Friday that the NFL Collective Bargaining agreement has been extended seven days, keeping the current deal in place and extending the negotiations for another week.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, no roster moves or player transactions can be done during that period.
Negotiations are reportedly set to resume Monday, with the sides said to be taking the weekend off. La Canfora points out that despite the break, the seven-day clock would not stop in that case, meaning both parties will have five more days of negotiations, lasting through Friday, March 11 - with the deadline now set at 5pm.
In the report NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Friday that the issues between the two sides are continuing to be discussed, and that continued talks are the only way progress will get made toward reaching a deal.
"This is going to get resolved through negotiations, not through litigations," Goodell said. "So, talking is better than litigating.
"We're going to continue to work as hard as we can. I promise."
La Canfora also said that lead NFL negotiator Jeff Pash credited federal mediator George H. Cohen and his team for bringing structure and discipline in these talks, and that it's time for them to "dig deep" and find a way to start working toward an agreement.
"There's been tremendous amount of discussion," Pash said of the extension. "It's time for us really to dig deep and try to find solutions and try to be creative and try to compromise in a way that will work for everybody.
"If both sides give a little, everyone can gain a lot. And that's what we have to try to do next week. It's a challenge. We've got very serious issues, we've got significant differences, but we are committed to collective bargaining."
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