AP Source: NFL's profitability data offer rejected

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NFL's lead labor negotiator says the league offered to give the players' union financial information that the league doesn't even give its 32 clubs.

On his way into today's mediation session, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash said the issue of financial transparency — a key sticking point in labor talks this week — "really should be behind us."

"We've made more information available in the course of this negotiation than has ever been made available in decades of collective bargaining with the NFLPA," Pash said. "Far more information. And we've offered to make even more information [available], including information that we do not disclose to our own clubs."

Pash did not reveal any specifics of the league's offer and wouldn't say what the union's response was. But a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that the NFL offered to turn over five years of profitability data to the players' union — and the offer was rejected.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the mediator overseeing the labor talks has told participants to not discuss details publicly.