WASHINGTON (AP) — Pro Football Hall of Famers Jack Youngblood and Bruce Smith have asked NFL owners to promise not to lock out players if a new labor deal isn’t reached by early March.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Youngblood and Smith note the players’ union already “pledged to not strike.” They add: “By making the parallel commitment, the owners would create the breathing room for a deal to be struck.”
The letter was addressed to “Owners of the National Football League” and sent Jan. 31 to Commissioner Roger Goodell at league headquarters in New York.
Goodell, meanwhile, has written an op-ed piece saying: “The hard work to secure the next NFL season must now accelerate in earnest.”
