Just hours before the end of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, owners and players got an extension that would keep negotiations alive, reports the league-owned NFL Network.
The original deadline for the expiration of the current CBA had been 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday.
The terms of an extended deadline are still open to negotiation, NFL Network reports.
A person with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press on Thursday that the league and the union had been discussing for much of Thursday an extension of the deadline beyond midnight - an attempt to stave off the league's first work stoppage since 1987. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the federal mediator overseeing the negotiations wants the proceedings kept private.
According to Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter, the owners were the ones to request the extension, CBSSports.com's Josh Katzowitz reports.
