Jerry Jones joins the NFL's talks with the NFL Referees Association
Thursday session was reportedly "productive."
The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have resumed their efforts to get a deal done. And the NFL, as expected, showed up with the big guns . Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the attendees at Thursday's bargaining session included Cowboys owner Jerry Jones .
Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports that Thursday's " meeting was productive and there is an expectation for continued discussions. " While the current labor deal between the NFL and the NFLRA runs through May 31, the league has made noise about wanting to get a deal done by May 1, given that it plans to commence hiring replacement officials at that point. The overriding question is the real deadline, and whether both sides agree on it.
That's the key. Setting a deadline and agreeing to it. Until that happens, both sides will be leery about moving toward their bottom-line positions.
So is it May 1? Is it May 31? Is it Week 1?