New NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith plans to meet with league commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday in New York.
The union said this will be a chance for the two men to get acquainted, but that no bargaining of any kind is expected.
George: Smith is a unifying force
DeMaurice Smith struck a uniting chord with membership across the board, Thomas George writes. There was an originality with Smith that swung the vote for executive director his way. More ...
On Monday, less than 24 hours after he was elected, Smith initiated talks with Goodell. They have discussed a meeting, but nothing has been set, according to the league.
Smith was traveling from Hawaii on Wednesday, three days after he was elected to replace the late Gene Upshaw as the NFLPA chief. Smith plans to announce his transition team Thursday. That group likely will include the other three finalists for the job the 32 player representatives chose Smith to fill.
The other finalists -- all with extensive professional football backgrounds that Smith lacks -- were former NFLPA presidents Trace Armstrong and Troy Vincent and sports attorney David Cornwell. Also mentioned as a candidate for the transition team is retired Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy.
Smith, 45, is a Washington attorney with connections to President Barack Obama and new Attorney General Eric Holder. Smith was considered the outsider among the candidates to replace Upshaw, who died last August after 25 years as NFLPA executive director.
Smith impressed the player representatives when he presented the union with a comprehensive plan and assembled roughly 12 advisers, including Wall Street financiers, labor lawyers and sports licensing experts. His stated goals for the union include increasing health care and opportunities for former and current players. He said the union has "both a moral and business obligation to retired players."
But labor talks are foremost after NFL team owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement last year, meaning it will end after the 2010 season instead of after 2012. And 2010 will be an uncapped year if there is no new agreement before then.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
