A federal judge gave professional football players a significant victory Monday, granting an injunction to stop the N.F.L.’s six-week-long lockout. The league planned to file a brief late Monday asking United States District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to stay her decision so that it does not have to open for business immediately.
If the stay is not granted by Nelson or the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the N.F.L. will have to put rules in place that would allow players to return to work and free agency to open within days, creating a flurry of activity that would mimic the normal operations of an off-season. Teams would be allowed to hold workouts with players, and players to meet with trainers to rehabilitate injuries and coaches to study game film.
But if a stay is granted, the N.F.L. will remain dormant while owners appeal Nelson’s decision. That would probably keep the N.F.L. shut down until at least mid-June and perhaps into early July, about a month before teams usually open training camps.
The league said Monday night that it did not intend to restart business until it had the opportunity to seek the stay, meaning teams will not try to sign or trade players. A final decision on the stay is likely to take no more than several days.
Jim Quinn, who argued the players’ case before Nelson, said Monday night that teams were theoretically allowed to sign free agents now, but that players had to give the N.F.L. time to let the dust settle. If it takes too long to begin signing players without a stay in place, owners could be subject to collusion charges, he said.
Ryan Clark, the player representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers, said in a text message Monday night that he was advising his teammates to report for work at the Steelers’ facilities Tuesday. CONTINUE READING..
