NFL Talks: New League Year Could Begin Next Week

(Newsroom America) -- The NFL's next season could begin by Wednesday as owners and players made more progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement on Saturday.

Sources on both sides told NFL.com that major progress was made in talks throughout the day, though the timelime for the players union to recertify still needs to be worked out.

Also, the report said, some other post-deal issues remain, such as drug testing and league discipline that will be worked through once the union recertifies.

The report said talks between owners and players are ongoing, with both parties attempting to build on the day's progress.

"Among the areas covered Saturday are the opt-out language, workers comp, injury protection clauses, and the process to finish a CBA with post-certification issues (benefits, drugs, discipline) if the union is reformed," said the report.

NFL Players Association officials said while there were no plans yet for a vote on the CBA, that could come together quickly.

Sources who spoke to NFL.com reporters said they thought perhaps the league year could start by Wednesday, based on the day's progress and the time needed to get votes and union recertification.

Once all the pieces are in place and a deal is approved, owners would be able to open the doors to team facilities and players would be able to report to training camp.

If the agreement is reached by the middle of the week, it's likely that the preseason and regular season would still begin on time.

Some analysts said earlier it's likely most players won't arrive to training camps in anything close to football shape, meaning injuries are likely to be higher than normal. The preseason was originally scheduled to begin Aug. 7 with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears.

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