Talks to end the NFL lockout will resume with the court-appointed mediator in New York on Monday and could continue through Thursday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity, because the discussions are supposed to remain confidential.
The mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, originally had ordered representatives of the league's owners and players to meet with him Tuesday in Minneapolis. Now Boylan is expected to arrive in New York on Monday to oversee talks aimed at ending the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987.
The owners have a special meeting set for Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then. Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the named plaintiffs in a federal antitrust suit against the league, and the NFL Players Association's 32 team representatives.