NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says there will be football in 2011. Goodell said many of the owners and players believe the same thing, even though labor talks collapsed and the players union decertified.
Green Bay Packers Vice President of Administration/General Counsel, Jason Wied was optimistic as well.
AUDIO: Jason Wied says it’s possible to get back negotiating face to face :16
Wied said the current collective bargaining agreement, which was extended in 2006, was not good for the long term. Wied said the only real way back to the table though, is if the players union withdraws its decertification.
How long the stalemate will last is anybody’s guess. One thing is certain though, the longer it takes, the more it will affect the entire organization.
AUDIO: Wied says the lockout will affect the entire organization :24
Wied said a rookie pay scale is a key issue in the dispute. The players agree, but they do want to insure that the money being taken away from rookie pool is added back into the players pool somewhere else, or at the very least into the players pension and/or insurance programs.