The NFL owners seem to be getting more serious by the day about opting out of the current labor agreement and now say that it may happen on Tuesday when they meet in Atlanta.

The owners don’t like that the players receive 60 percent of revenues, as reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com:

One management source called it a "high likelihood" that the owners will exercise their option to terminate the agreement, which will trigger a number of alternatives, including a potential work stoppage by 2011. Another source said "be prepared" for the action, although it was "not a 100 percent proposition yet."

However, by opting out of the agreement that was struck on March 9, 2006, the NFL would play 2010 without a salary cap, unrestricted free agency for players would be increased from four years to six years and the orderly selection of college players in the annual draft would not exist after 2011. These "poison pills" are designed to motivate both the owners and the union to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

When the current CBA was agreed upon amid much acrimony between high- and low-revenue clubs, the deal included options for both the owners and players' union to terminate the terms early in either 2008 or 2009. The deadline for opting out this year is Nov. 8 but league sources say many owners want to pull the trigger now.

According to NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, the players plan to stay pat and not give up anything they feel they have earned.

The last labor stoppage was in 1987 when replacement players were brought in to play a few regular season games.

For more recent news from around the league reported by the Biz of Football check here.

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