Even though Judge Susan Nelson has granted an injunction of the NFL owners’ lockout, players and fans will have to hold off on the celebration.
While this ruling is obviously a huge win for the players, the owners are pursuing a stay on the injunction, which could mean that Nelson’s decision could eventually be overruled. The NFL’s hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
From USA Today:
“The irreparable harm to the players outweighs any harm an injunction would cause the NFL,” Nelson wrote in her decision. She also cited public interest in her ruling and said the NFL’s lockout — which would threatened to shutter the regular season if it lingered into the fall — was “far from purely a private argument over compensation.”
As of right now, it’s uncertain whether or not the league is open for business. According to Peter King via Twitter, agents have started advising clients with huge workout bonuses to report to their teams on Tuesday morning. Adam Schefter shared a similar tweet on his page.
If the owners’ appeal doesn’t hold up, we could be looking at another uncapped year as the two sides continue to work on a new CBA. The good news there is that free agency will begin and I would have to imagine that teams will start calling players as early as this week. (If not on Tuesday.)
Of course, if the owners’ appeal is granted, then the league has another mess on its hands. For now, all we can do is wait for the situation to provide more clarity.
