The NFL and NFL Players Association set a deadline of midnight Friday night to come to an agreement. Unfortunately, it seems as though the midnight deadline will come and pass without a deal being made. Earlier today, the NFL made a proposal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement but the NFLPA declined the deal. Further more, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith gave the NFL a 5 p.m. deadline, which has come and gone, to submit to the player's union 10 years of audited financial information on each team, saying:
"We informed the owners that significant differences remained, that if there was going to be a request for an extension that we asked for 10 years of audited financial records to accompany any extension. We told them please let us know by 5 pm today. We're gonna head back to the office. I'm sure we'll have further comment later on."
If the NFL had submitted the information, the NFLPA would have agreed to another extension, however, the NFL owners didn't meet the union's terms. Because of that, the NFLPA has submitted paperwork to decertify the players union and move the negotiations from a board room to a court room.
If a lockout is to take place now, the players can sue the NFL for restraint-of-trade antitrust violations. Quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees have already agreed to be the lead plantiffs, representing the players interests in court.
The NFLPA has released the following statement:
"The NFL Players Association announced today it has informed the NFL, NFL clubs and other necessary parties that it has renounced its status as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of the players of the National Football League.
"The NFLPA will move forward as a professional trade association with the mission of supporting the interests and rights of current and former professional football players."