While the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is not due to end until after the 2020 season, it would appear that league officials have already begun preliminary discussions with their counterparts from the NFLPA.
As per a report by Kevin Draper and Ken Belson of the New York Times on Tuesday, NFL executives initiated conversations with the players union last month, holding two meetings that were surprisingly characterized as amicable given the animosity that has been evident between the two sides as of late.
Hoping to avoid the 136-day lockout that accompanied the last CBA negotiations in 2011, the earlier a deal can be agreed the better for all concerned.