Maybe a deal is in sight.

The NFL and its officials – represented by the NFL Referees Association – will head to federal mediation in an effort to strike a labor deal.

You’ll remember the league and players went that route last year and it didn’t get a lot accomplished for them. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service announced Thursday the sides accepted an offer to join a negotiation in search of a labor deal.

Without a new deal, the NFL faces the prospect of beginning the season with replacement officials, which would be a possible public relations disaster a year after the players were locked out and labor battles dominated headlines.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune