Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel said last week that the players are willing to negotiate with the owners, but they want to do it directly because “Jeff Pash can’t agree to a deal.”
Pash, the NFL’s general counsel, told the media at today’s league meeting that he’s fine with that.
“I think the point that Mike Vrabel made, even though it maybe wasn’t too flattering to me, was a fair one -- the people who are writing the checks and the people who are cashing the checks should be at the table together,” Pash said. “Let’s have decision-makers at the table together.”
Pash’s comments, however, were consistent with the league’s previous statement: Pash thinks the owners should sit down with the players, but he’s not committing to advising his clients to negotiate without him.
“Our team, including owners, including the owners who he asked for, would be prepared to meet with the union’s executive committee -- Mike Vrabel and Drew Brees and Kevin Mawae and Tony Richardson and whatever other members of the executive committee they want to have there -- and do that any time,” Pash said.
UPDATE: Here is more from Pash from today’s media session.
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