For all the information that flowed through Indianapolis this weekend, none was any more startling or alarming than the one regarding the state of the game.

This offseason, more than 40 percent of the assistant coaches in the league changed teams, a stunningly high number, according to numbers that the coaches association keeps. That in itself takes a moment to process. But the kicker to it is even more ominous.

Virtually none, if any, of the assistant coaches who signed contracts this offseason were given deals that extended into 2011, league sources said. Each was given a two-year contract for 2009 and 2010, but nothing for 2011, when the league faces the possibility of a work stoppage.

For now, 2011 seems a long way off. But already the date is at the forefront of the owners’ and coaches’ thinking.

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