NFL Labor Dispute: Another extension possible- Good news on the horizon?

(Updates provided at the end of the article)

As soon as the announcement came out yesterday that a 24 hour extension was given in the current attempt to reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the first thing that came to my mind was: Progress must have been made.  Considering how far apart the two sides have been on the Big Three Issues, it also was immediately apparent that 24 hours would not be long enough to sort through everything.

Now it appears possible (read: likely) that another extension will be made, this time several days, if not longer.  That would mean one thing: We'll get a deal done.  Perhaps I'm being overly-optimistic, and looking way too deeply into the recent developments, but if both sides were truly flipping the bird to the other yesterday, the Union would have decertified, the labor discussions would have ceased, and no extension would have been made.

Peter King tweeted: I am told "serious, significant progress'' has been made on CBA issues. "This is not a sham,'' my source says, "but it is very fragile.''

Also, Michael Silver wrote an outstanding article this morning, providing insight and explanation on the current state of the dispute.  An excerpt:

So much uncertainty remains when it comes to the NFL’s ever-fluid labor situation, but as we head into a Friday that will likely rank among the most significant days in the history of owner-player relations in major professional sports, this much is clear: For football fans, the hours between now and midnight Saturday will either be awful or awesome, and probably nowhere in between.

Please make sure to read the entire article, as it's one of the best that's been written in recent days.

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Update: Liz Mullin tweets- Hearing: NFL players have already agreed to 10 day extension suggested by mediator. If owners don't agree, NFL CBA expires at midnight.

Make sure to follow Liz, as she's consistently been in the thick of things with these negotiations.

Update: From Jason LaCanfora- Commissioner Roger Goodell now must canvas the Executive Committee of the Management Council to gain authorization for an extension. Most owners have left Washington, and Friday's session will not include NFLPA representatives. The 24-hour extension was, in essence, to allow Goodell and the leagues lawyers sufficient time to determine if the owners were willing to push the deadline back and "stop the clock" on the CBA for a longer period of time.

Stay tuned...

Update: JI Halsell is reporting another 7 day extension.