"The war of words between NFL owners, players and the lawyers representing each faction appears to simmering down.

But just as the two sides are reportedly closer than ever to agreeing on a new revenue-sharing system, some of the NFL's fiercest rivalries are heating up.

Players from the Giants, Eagles, Steelers and Ravens might be unified in their fight against the owners, but recent public barbs reflect that there won't be any love lost when they get back on the gridiron.

It started with Steelers linebacker Lamarr Woodley's recent appearance on the NFL Network, where he stated that Ravens quarterback and former University of Delaware star Joe Flacco of Audubon would never win the Super Bowl "in this lifetime."

Why not?

Because the Steelers, their rivals in the AFC Central, would always be his chief obstacle, Woodley opined.

"So in order for them to get to the Super Bowl, they have to beat us," he added, "and we're not gonna let that happen once we get that close."

You can call it trash talk -- or just an honest opinion based on precedent. The Steelers are 3-0 against the Ravens in the postseason, knocking them out of the playoffs in two of the past three meetings.

The soft-spoken Flacco, who usually strays from controversial banter, responded on a Baltimore radio station.

"(Woodley) obviously doesn't know what he's talking about," Flacco told WBAL (1090-AM).

The unfriendly exchange paled in comparison to the recent feud between Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora."