Yeah the 59.x% was more than the MLB, NBA, and NHL pay.
Here is a good article from NFL.com that explains some of the other things that will be in play if they fail to renegotiat on time.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessi...o&confirm=true
Personaly I think this is a good thing. It means that they can address some of the bigger money issues, like rookie salaries and benifits, sooner.