INDIANAPOLIS — With less than a week to go before the expiration of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, hope seems to fade with each passing day that the league can avoid a lockout of the players by next Thursday.

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith addressed nearly 700 agents Friday about the seemingly intractable labor situation. And while Smith didn’t directly discuss recent negotiations with the owners, very few agents who attended the meeting sounded optimistic about a quick resolution.

“I can’t see how there won’t be a lockout,” said one agent, who asked not to be named. “It doesn’t look good right now. They’re very far apart (in negotiations).”

Negotiators from both sides met for a week in Washington, D.C., but seemed no closer to a resolution. The talks will continue Tuesday with federal mediator George Cohen. Owners are scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday in Northern Virginia to discuss the labor situation.

If no agreement is reached by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, it is likely that a lockout would be declared by the owners. However, there is also a possibility that owners would be willing to “stop the clock” and continue negotiations. There has been some discussion among the owners about eventually deciding to allow football to be played under the current terms of the CBA.

Complicating matters even further is uncertainty over whether the NFLPA will opt to decertify, which would in essence dissolve the union. The tactic was used in 1987 when the NFL last had a players’ strike, but the union re-formed in 1993.

One prominent agent suggested that the union would indeed attempt to decertify if a lockout is imposed, and that the league would then be sued for violating antitrust laws. Another agent said that the crux of the matter boils down to how to split about $9 billion in revenues.

“If they could just decide how to make the split, the deal could get done tomorrow,” the agent said.