After making solid progress over the last 24 hours, the owners and players will take a few days off from the mediation sessions in Minnesota.
According to NFL Network’s Albert Breer, mediation at the Minneapolis federal courthouse has been adjourned until Tuesday at 10 a.m.
To recap what has gone down thus far in Judge Arthur Boylan’s chambers, Thursday’s 10-hour session was described as “tough”, but “necessary fence-mending” was made after the sides negotiated for the first time in 34 days.
Although much wasn’t said due to Judge Susan Nelson’s request for confidentiality, the talks were generally reported as a positive experience.
This morning, the NFL and NFLPA returned for round two at 9:30 a.m. This session was much more brief — lasting just over four hours — and included the same cast as yesterday. Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL lead negotiator Jeff Pash, several owners, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, former defensive end Carl Eller, and a group of lawyers were all present today.
Breer guesses that the judge ruled for an adjournment because the sensitivity of the discussions means he has to be “methodical.”
“I’m also told that the sides are all “serious” about this set of negotiations, and the consequences that could lie ahead,” said Breer.
Now talks will break, giving each party a chance to re-group and possibly inch closer to a mutual agreement. Though a resolution is still a way’s away, next week has to be all about hammering out the differences — all day, every day if need be.
