NFL and players union extend talks for another week

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The NFL and the players’ union agreed to extend talks on a new collective agreement for another week, the league-owned NFL Network reported Friday.

[Updated at 12:30 p.m.: The Associated Press is reporting that talks will resume Monday. Federal mediator George Cohen announced the new agreement and NFL Players Assn. Executive Director DeMaurice Smith planned to speak to the media Friday.

“We are continuing to work hard, to identify solutions,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We believe that, as I’ve said many times before, that this will be solved through negotiations and that’s what we’re focused on.”

“We’ll continue to work hard, and we’ll be back next week.”]

The parties had already agreed to a 24-hour extension before the original deadline of 8:59 p.m. PST Thursday but added another seven days after speaking with a mediator Friday.

The chief sticking point in the talks is how to distribute the league’s $9 billion in annual revenues.

Currently, the league gives the players about 60% of the revenue after it takes about $1.3 billion off the top for costs.

Goodell and Smith met with Cohen at the office of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for the 11th day.

Goodell, who contends costs have risen dramatically since the previous deal was struck in 2006, would like to increase the league’s take to $2.3 billion, shrinking the amount available to the players.

The league would also like to extend the regular season by two games, impose a rookie wage scale, and test players for the use of human growth hormone.

More to come at latimes/sports.

-- Reuters