The current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in a little more than 12 hours, and there is no sign that we are getting any closer to reaching agreement on a new one before that time. But there are signs of progress. According to reports, the meetings between the NFL and the player's union went "better than expected" on Wednesday.
That said, Don Banks of SI.com tweeted that a source tells him Wednesday's meeting between the NFL and NFLPA -- which included several owners and active players -- went "better than expected". Unfortunately for fans who want football, this could just as easily mean, 'We were 100 miles apart and now we're just 99 miles apart.'
That last sentence certainly tempers expectations a little bit. As we said below, it is unlikely that the two sides will reach an agreement before midnight tonight. But this is really the first report that we have heard that the two sides have made anything resembling progress. Even if they don't reach an agreement today, they can still come to terms throughout the rest of the offseason. to try and make something happen. Progress like that was made yesterday inspires some optimism that an agreement can be reached before next season.
For more on the labor talks, check out the stream at SB Nation.