Are you ready for some Thursday night football? It could happen as part of the new NFL collective bargaining agreement according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

The current eight-game Thursday night package airs on NFL Network. This report said in the 2012 season it would be 16 games and the bidding would be open to all networks. Estimates are that it could carry a $1 billion price tag.

What is one of the issues that the owners and players have been dealing with? The owners wanted another $1 billion off the top of revenues.

If this is true it just makes so much sense.

Scheduling shouldn’t be a problem Every Thanksgiving the Lions and Cowboys play on Thursday after playing the Sunday before. Plus they've been playing up to eight Thursday night games a season since 2006, but many people don't see the games because on most cable systems the NFL Network is a top tier channel.

Next question of course is how long before the Lions could find themselves in the Thursday prime spotlight?

Reports from today’s owners’ meetings in Chicago seem positive. Rumors exist of getting a deal done by June 30. Then give the teams a week to digest the new rules prior to free agency. Then, of course, there will be time for training camp, possibly an extended version.

It’s not a done deal, but there seem to be optimism that the full season will be played.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche)