It appears that both sides of the ongoing labor dispute within the NFL want to give themselves a bit more time before officially declaring a lockout, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortenson
The NFL owners and the Players’ Association have extended the deadline by 24 hours, and adjusting the countdown to 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, March 4.
This does not mean that talks have progressed between the two parties — as both sides still appear far apart on an 18-game schedule and pensions, among other issues — but it does give some hope that the two sides may be discovering some common ground and wished to advance discussions.
Deadlines can be wonderful incentives, and it looks like the NFL isn’t quite ready to cease work just yet. We’ll have a better sense of where they stand this time tomorrow.