The NFL and NFLPA took a massive step this week to create a baseline for all league fields. According to ESPN, all 30 playing surfaces will use a “Strike” device to measure conditions and ensure player safety.

NFL field director Nick Pappas released a statement after the announcement.

“We’re going to come up with our own performance specification document for the NFL field. Ultimately, it will be a regulatory document that says, ‘Hey, look, an NFL field should meet these standards.’ Right now, our standards have been somewhat vague, but it’s because we didn’t want to just arbitrarily adopt something that could be wrong.”

With what feels like a rise in injuries over the last few years, especially of the non-contact variety, there has been increased pressure on the league to ensure better standards for player safety. Some have suggested eliminating turf fields, but scientific evidence does not explicitly state a correlation between the two.

The NFL will continue to use Clegg readings for the 2024 season as the league adapts to Strike.

“That is what we believe is going to give us a more true value to what the player is feeling and a better way to measure our fields moving forward. The Clegg has done great things for us in the initial low-hanging fruit of getting us to an improved standardization, but there may be some diminishing values at this point on it where we need to take it a step further to better understand our fields.”

The NFL has a monster week one in a fortnight, with games on four out of five days, including their first-ever contest in Brazil between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. With an international competition on the docket, the league must ensure a uniform surface across all stadiums, start off the season right, and bring positive PR to the teams.

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith told reporters Wednesday that he wants to get rid of the NFL Combine and suggested replacing it with regional pro days. Smith’s comments echo those of NFL executive Troy Vincent, who compared the combine to a “slave auction” at an owners’ meeting in December.

“Think about it … the NCAA and the NFL structure a combine during what should be every football player’s what? Last semester in college,” Smith said at the NFLPA’s annual Super Bowl press conference. “Who decided that it was a good idea to take your son and have him exclusively try out for the NFL’s exclusive way of getting into the league, for the most part, unless you’re a free-agent player? You have to be invited to the combine.”

Smith went on to say that players had to agree to difficult conditions, including what he considered extensive and unnecessary medical evaluations, in order to qualify for the combine. The annual evaluation is the most effective way for players to get drafted to the NFL, a league that controls a virtual monopoly over the most competitive football in the country.

“We’re now in an era where we know exactly how fast these guys can run, how much they can lift, how far they can jump, do all of those things,” Smith said, referring to abundant scouting information available online. “Why do we insist on them showing up in Indianapolis? It’s not for anything physical, right? It’s for the teams to be able to engage in intrusive employment actions that don’t exist anywhere else.”

Back in December, Vincent went even further than Smith, claiming that the combine dehumanized players by reducing them to strictly physical attributes. At the time, several owners came forward to vigorously deny Vincent’s claims, arguing that teams had to have an understanding of such traits before drafting players. They also argued that the combine offers a platform for players to promote themselves.

Smith’s argument seems to cut through many of the owners’ defense, as regional pro days would offer teams a chance to evaluate players on the field without nearly as many restrictions. Such a system could also allow more players to receive attention from teams before the draft, expanding the number of opportunities the league can provide to lesser-known athletes.

The NFLPA’s medical director guaranteed Wednesday that Damar Hamlin will eventually return to professional football. The Bills player has been recovering from a cardiac event he suffered five weeks ago during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, concern about Hamlin’s potential NFL future was a distant second priority as he fought for his life in the University of Cincinatti Medical Center. Hamlin had to be resuscitated on the field and in the hospital as he struggled to breathe on his own. Now, he is in rehabilitation and is expected to make a full recovery.

“I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” Dr. Thom Mayer, the NFLPA medical director, said on the “Heart to Heart” podcast.

Shortly before Hamlin’s most recent medical update, the Bills safety made one of his first public appearances Wednesday, delivering a surprise acceptance speech for the NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award at a Super Bowl event. The award was given to Hamlin for contributions he has made to his community.

“Being recognized for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award is humbling and a dream come true,” Hamlin said. “I’m humbled to even be mentioned amongst those guys. I’ve always wanted to impact my community and show that it’s possible to do great things. With this award, we’ll be able to impact even more people and keep this mission going.”

Following his collapse on the field, countless fans discovered his online toy drive, which aimed to raise $2,500 to purchase toys for children impacted by the pandemic. As of Feb. 9, the drive has raised more than $9 million.

“One of my favorite quotes: ‘it’s a blessing to be a blessing,'” Hamlin said. “What that means is saying never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach in making a difference in the community where I come from and also communities across the world. Thank you.”

In a 15-page conclusion released Monday morning, former federal judge Sue L. Robinson ruled that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will serve a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy relating to sexual misconduct.

Robinson said that there was not sufficient evidence to rule in favor of an indefinite suspension.

The NFL Players Association has already confirmed that they will stand by Robinson’s ruling and encouraged the NFL to do the same.

If the suspension is upheld, Watson will miss the first six games of the 2022 regular season, but will still be able to practice and play with the Browns in the preseason.

He will not have to pay a fine, but could reportedly lose $345,000 in salary payments. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement also states that he can practice with the team for the second half of his suspension, beginning in Week 4.

Since March 2021, 25 different women have filed lawsuits against Watson accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior during massage appointments. Watson has settled 23 of these cases and another was dropped. In March 2022, a jury ruled that Watson would not face criminal charges for nine complaints filed against him.

When one of the initial criminal complaints was first filed against him in March, Watson reiterated in a statement on Twitter that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

“I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect … it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that,” Watson said.

In the wake of Watson’s suspension announcement, Robinson and investigators have received public criticism for not pursuing a more severe ruling. In a statement given to USA Today, National Center on Sexual Exploitation CEO Dawn Hawkins said that the punishment for Watson was insufficient but nevertheless represented a step in the right direction.

“We believe that (Watson’s) suspension should have been stricter, but we are thankful that the league has begun to take seriously matters of sexual exploitation by holding players like Mr. Watson accountable,” Hawkins said.

How Does Watson’s Punishment Compare To Others?

Others have argued that Watson’s six-game suspension for sexual misconduct does not properly align with previous suspensions given to other players for different violations.

In an Instagram post published by SBNation, the publication compared Watson’s proposed six-game suspension with Josh Gordon’s 16-game suspension in 2015 for substance abuse and Calvin Ridley’s 17-game suspension last season for gambling violations. The caption argued that the NFL’s potential decision to stand by Robinson’s ruling would have a clear, negative impact on the league’s priorities in policy enforcement.

With the NFLPA standing by the ruling, the NFL has three days to do the same or submit a written appeal, which would be a clear sign that the league is still seeking a more severe suspension. In the meantime, Watson will continue to report to the Browns’ training camp as his case nears a potential end.

Disciplinary hearings for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson are underway to determine if he violated the league’s code of conduct policy in wake of his 24 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct. Over the past few weeks, Watson settled 20 out of 24 of those lawsuits for undisclosed amounts but has yet to settle the remaining ones.

NFL and NFLPA appointed Sue L. Robinson to conduct the hearing, and she received a recommendation from the league for a one-year suspension for Watson. If the recommendation is carried out, Watson, as well as the NFLPA, can appeal the ruling. If that happens, Commissioner Roger Goodell would hold the power to rule on the appeal. If more information regarding Watson’s legal issues comes to light, the NFL is afforded some leeway to increase the punishment.

Since the implementation of the league’s code of conduct policy in 2007, there have been a number of notable suspensions due to violations of the policy. Only a few have been overturned or reduced due to appeal. These include Ben Roethlisberger‘s six-game suspension due to an accusation of sexual assault in 2010, which was reduced to four games on appeal, Tom Brady‘s suspension due to Deflategate, which was appealed and then upheld in federal court, and Ezekiel Elliot‘s six-game suspension, which was given after the league recommended no suspension be given.

In March, Browns GM Andrew Berry said that the team would have continuous communication with the NFL regarding a possible suspension. It is worth noting that Watson is only owed $1 million this upcoming season, which ensures the Browns are not financially at a loss if a potential suspension does take place. Watson is on a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract.

Replacements for Watson include recently acquired Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs, while Case Keenum, who served as the backup quarterback last season, is also available. Baker Mayfield is expected to be traded to Seattle according to recent reports, however, he still remains rostered.

Watson has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

The NFL is updating its COVID-19 policy as the virus surges and case clusters sideline prominent players and coaches.

The league’s new goal is to test vaccinated players once every seven days instead of once every 14 days, NFL general counsel Larry Ferazani said Thursday.  This rule will only apply to players who are vaccinated. Players who are not fully vaccinated will continue to be tested daily.

The proposal requires approval from the NFL Players Association, which has been pushing for all players, vaccinated and unvaccinated, to be tested daily. “That is based on our best effort … to render the safest possible environment for our players,” Ferazani said.

In a statement to ESPN, the NFLPA stopped short of accepting the proposal. “The COVID environment is constantly changing and our success last year was built not only on a foundation of cooperation, but more importantly, on listening to our experts. It is clear with what we know about the Delta variant and with what we have seen already with clubs, testing needs to be a greater focal point,” the NFLPA said.

The league is making good progress on vaccination. As of Thursday, nearly 93% of NFL players are at least partially vaccinated, according to NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills. Staff members have been nearly 100% vaccinated since the start of training camp.

The NFLPA’s push to test all players daily is rooted in protocols adopted for the 2020 season, which were put in place and carried out before vaccines were available. Dr. Sills, however, said that testing itself did not prevent outbreaks last season and that other mitigation policies — including masking and avoiding in-person meetings and meals — proved more valuable. “People tend to focus on safety, and it’s very important that we realize that testing is not prevention,” Sills said. “Testing is not preventing anyone from transmitting the virus. It is one part of our mitigation strategy but it’s not the key part. … Testing is obviously something that is helpful and it can be beneficial but we try to apply it in a targeted and intelligent manner and we try to test those people that are most at risk, and that’s what we’ll continue to recommend. But it’s not testing that will get us through this surge or the future of our season here.”

Free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman was arrested and booked Wednesday morning for a burglary and a domestic violence felony charge.

It was also announced that Sherman was denied bail. A Redmond Police Department spokesman said that it’s standard procedure for suspects of domestic violence to be denied bail until they can appear before a judge.

A spokesperson for the Redmond Police Department said that a 911 call was made from the residence at 1:46 a.m. The caller said that a male family member who didn’t live at the residence was attempting to force his way into the home.

When Police arrived, they identified the suspect as Sherman. Police say that Sherman was uncooperative and fought with them during questioning. Police had to deploy a K9 unit to subdue the combative star. He was then apprehended and taken to a local hospital to be checked. After he was cleared medically, he was booked into the King County Correctional Facility.

However, his legal troubles do not end there. The Washington State Patrol is investigating Sherman for another incident. The cornerback is being investigated for a hit and run and damage to the state Department of Transportation property. This was reported by Adam Schefter of NFL Insider.

State police said that the single-car incident occurred when a car struck a concrete barrier. The vehicle was then abandoned in a parking lot. The vehicle registration came back to Sherman.

“The driver apparently was able to drive the vehicle off the exit and abandoned it in a nearby parking lot,” Schefter explained on Twitter. “The registration was run, and it came back to Richard Sherman.”

The NFLPA released a statement on this situation since Sherman is vice president of the executive committee.

“We were made aware of an arrest last night of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence crisis protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”

The Cleveland Browns are the latest team to join other NFL teams in opting out of voluntary in-person offseason workouts.

Browns players made the official decision after guidance and advice from Cleveland center and NFL Players Association President JC Tretter. Cleveland players are the latest in a growing list of teams opting out from in-person offseason workouts.

On Wednesday, the league sent a memo to all teams announcing that the first four weeks of the voluntary program will be virtual before transitioning to in-person at each team’s respective training facilities.

Cleveland released a statement through the NFLPA. “The NFL’s memo outlining how they plan to implement voluntary workouts falls short of what we as players believe is adequate,” the statement said. “The Cleveland Browns players agree that a virtual offseason like we had last year, is the best decision for everyone in our league.”

“COVID-19 continues to affect our players, our families, and our communities, and we must continue to take it seriously. In addition to the ongoing threat of the pandemic, we felt healthier both mentally and physically last year, which we attribute to sufficient recovery time and the lack of additional wear and tear on our bodies during the spring months. The league-wide injury data supports us as well, as NFL players experienced a 23% reduction in missed-time injuries last season.”

“For these reasons, we stand in solidarity with players from other clubs by exercising our CBA right to not attend in-person voluntary workouts this offseason. We are professionals who train year-round, wherever we spend our offseason. As we proved last year, we will be ready to compete this upcoming season.”

Last season, the league conducted offseason programs virtually and pushed back training camp due to coronavirus.

The Browns are the latest team to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons in using their collective bargaining rights to not participate in workouts. The list of teams is expected to increase.

Although Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t have an in-person offseason program in his first year as Cleveland’s coach, he was incredibly successful, leading the Browns to their first postseason since the 2002 season. The Browns even upset the Steelers in the Wild Card round before losing to the Chiefs. Cleveland will look to build on their 2020 success in 2021.

Over the past week, the NFL has gained momentum in negotiations over policies regarding the league’s return to play for the 2020 NFL season. One of the biggest points of contention has been between the league and the NFLPA about whether any preseason games will be played. Throughout the entirety of the negotiations it has been reported that the NFLPA has remained steadfast on its demand to reduce the number of preseason games to zero.

It has been a slow process to get there with the NFL first cutting the number of games down to two earlier this month and earlier this week reportedly offering to cut it down to one. This is a rare win for the NFLPA but it seems that it was able to leverage the pressure being put on the league this last week from players and owners alike. These negotiations have been just one of the lynchpin discussions going on this week after the league dragged its feet over the past few months. There are still hurdles to clear with players reporting to training camps this week and the results of the initial COVID-19 still to be revealed, but it is encouraging that the NFL appears to be amenable to the player’s demands since the rest of the negotiations still to happen needed to move quickly.

It seems that the league has boxed itself in but that may be a good thing in the long run. In a sport where the owners and league hold a disproportionate amount of power over their players, this may build some momentum for the players to get more rights and benefits in the future such as guaranteed salaries or more injury benefits on their contracts. That does offer the question about whether or not the NFLPA should holdout a bit longer especially at such a pivotal point. Although it is risky this may be the leverage that they have needed to get more benefits and player’s rights. Discussions like these are never over until the dotted line is signed and there still may be an impasse in talks but every day it seems like we are getting closer to seeing football in September, a reality that seemed almost impossible a few months ago.

With NFL training camps scheduled to start later this month, the league has already gotten rid of two preseason games for this season. With the unpredictability of COVID-19, however, and the increased risk football players are at to contract the virus, the NFL Players Association is calling for the elimination of the remaining two preseason games. 

One NFL head coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Bruce Arians, agrees with this sentiment telling the Tampa Bay Times that he would not be shocked if every player contracted the virus at some point during the 2020 season. “We’ve got to be careful. The players, they’re going to all get sick, that’s for sure. It’s just a matter of how sick they get,” he said. 

An NFL Network report detailed that ahead of training camp, the league plans to test all players and staff, as well as their family members and those living with them for COVID-19. 

The 67-year-old Arians has not completed an entire season as a head coach without a visit to the hospital, and is a three-time cancer survivor, putting him at an increased risk of contracting the virus. He also noted on Monday, that given his advanced age and previous health conditions, he has forced himself to rethink how he coaches compared to a regular season. “I got to be real careful. I’ll probably double with a mask and a (face) shield. You know, because l already had my scare out there (in Arizona) once a couple of years ago. For me personally, I’ve got a plan and I just have to be smart enough to stay with it.”

The NFL franchise tag finally stopped haunting  LeVeon Bell this spring after he inked a long-term deal with the New York Jets.

However, the league’s makeshift one–year contract feature now holds Houston Texans defensive star Jadeveon Clowney in its jaws, something that instigaties further conflicts between Clowney and the Texans’ front office.

Around the same time the Jets bestowed the long-term, guaranteed contract that Bell craved so dearly — yet was frequently denied during his holdout in Pittsburgh — the Houston Texans extended the franchise tag to Clowney after the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Although the tag poises to fill Clowney’s wallet with significant funds in exchange for his services, the former first overall pick clearly illustrated his preference for a long-term contract and absent enthusiasm to play under the franchise tag, as most players do.

Aside form failing to extend a worthy offer to Clowney, Houston now appears ready to cheat Clowney once more after recently labeling him as a “DE/LB,” instead of just a DE. For the upcoming season, the NFL franchise tag salary for defensive ends totals up to $17,128,000, while for a linebacker the tag offers just $15,443,000 instead. Therefore, this move offers Houston a chance to pay Clowney a significant $1.7 million dollars less if they choose to classify him as a linebacker, rather than as a defensive end.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

Aside from the likely backlash from both Clowney and his agent in response to this move from the Texans, the NFLPA reportedly plans to help out Clowney as well by filling a grievance in Houston over the dispute.

Although his health inconsistencies kept him off the field occasionally during his young career, when playing, Clowney stands in as a dangerous pass rusher for opposing offenses. Clowney tallied 18.5 sacks over his last two seasons despite missing two starts for the Texans. Pro Football Focus also awarded Clowney with a 91.2 run–defense grade, the second-highest amongst edge rushers last year. Clowney helped assemble perhaps the AFC’s most destructive defenses last year that catapulted Houston to another AFC South title.

The football world was sent into a frenzy last month when the NFL announced a new policy regarding National Anthem protests in which league officials decreed that any players who kneel during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” would be subject to a fine. The ruling was controversial to begin with, but the heat has only risen over the past few weeks as more and more details about the decision have come out, including the revelation that no formal vote was held on the new policy and the admittance of the NFL that Donald Trump‘s statements on the protests influenced their decision.

Players have come out in droves to announce their displeasure with the new policy, with the officials from the NFL Players Association providing a huge amount of blowback for the NFL. Now, the NFLPA is upping the ante, hiring a group of law firms to look for ways in which they can fight against the new policy.

Perhaps their most pertinent challenge they can present to the NFL could be in the form of a “non-injury grievance” under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In this case, the NFLPA could argue that the NFL did not engage in good-faith bargaining with the NFLPA prior to league officials taking away a right of players which they had previously allowed. The NFL confirmed the players’ right to protest on many occasions, which would likely strengthen the NFLPA’s argument. 2009 saw the NFL officially provide players with the right to protest, as it was announced that they would be required to be on the sidelines during the National Anthem, but that they were not explicitly required to stand. This was reiterated following Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem in 2016, as well as several times throughout the 2016 and 2017 NFL seasons as the protests become more and more widespread.

With all this in mind, the NFLPA seems to have a pretty solid case against the new anthem policy from a legal perspective and will likely spend a good amount of this summer fighting for players’ right to protest. While it’s impossible to conclude exactly how this will turn out as well as how it could affect the 2018-19 NFL season, one thing is for certain: tensions between players and league higher-ups are very, very high and we could see a great deal of blowback as we move toward the fall.

The pro football world was shaken up considerably when NFL executives agreed to a new policy that would require players to stand during the playing of the National Anthem or wait in the locker room, with a fine being issued to those who violate it along with a potential yardage penalty. As if the ruling itself weren’t controversial enough, several more revelations including that no formal vote was held by the owners during the discussion process, as well as Donald Trump‘s alleged influence on the decision, have only served to escalate tensions which were already incredibly high.

For the time being, the biggest question surrounding this whole debacle is just how it might affect the upcoming 2018-19 NFL season. Well, I can tell you with all but the utmost of certainty that it is not going to be pretty. Just take a look at how last season developed, when player were allowed to kneel during the National Anthem. Players, owners, and league executives were constantly at each other’s throats, and it almost seemed as if some new controversial statement was coming from one end or the other every day. The protests perhaps reached a peak after Trump said that any player who kneels is a “son of a bitch,” which was entirely counterproductive on his part, as it ultimately resulted in just about every player and coach (and even some owners) taking a knee during their upcoming games.

SLIDESHOW: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2017

But now at seems as though the progress which was being made on the owners’ parts has been erased with this new ruling, and players and their representatives are not happy about it.

Upon hearing that no vote was held on the new policy NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said that it, “Suggests to me that this was more of a desperate attempt by a group of owners to simply quote-unquote ‘get back to playing football’ rather than to honestly and with a sense of what America means, to sit down and figure out what’s the right thing to do. What I think they did was they sat down and tried to figure out, ‘What can we get away with as quickly as possible?’”

It’s like the owners don’t care about the players’ rights to free speech and protest and were simply looking for a quick fix to something which they deemed a problem. This is a rather blatant display of NFL higher-ups simply disregarding their players in order to make their own lives easier, and it’s something of which the players are very much aware. Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith indicated that the new policy makes Colin Kaepernick‘s initial protests seem in vain, setting the league back tremendously.

https://twitter.com/TorreySmithWR/status/999385328250249217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fusports.org%2Fpanthers-wr-torrey-smith-says-nfls-national-anthem-policy-makes-kaepernicks-protest-seem-in-vain%2F

This whole ordeal spells nothing but bad news for the NFL. The players are not happy, and will likely not be happy until a major change is made. I expect a good majority of players to do one of two things: either they will stay in the locker room during the National Anthem, or they will continue to kneel until a new policy is passed. In a very extreme hypothetical, but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see some sort of player strike take place. Again, that’s very extreme, but certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

Ultimately, I do not think the NFL will benefit from this decision at all. This will not save their ratings from dropping (although NFL games are still among the most popular television programs in the United States), nor will it serve to settle player-owner relations. The 2018-19 season will likely be a mess of controversy among all of the NFL entities, and while we’ll still probably have some great football to watch, the new National Anthem policy will be looming over every person involved in every game, whether they are on the field, in a front office, in the stands, or at home. Unless something changes, this is not going to be pretty.

The NFL Players Association re-elected DeMaurice Smith as executive director on Tuesday by a 14-0 vote.

DeMaurice Smith NFLPA re-election news

Smith’s three-year term runs through 2021, which coincides with the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement.

“This union is centered on player leadership. I am proud of their commitment, humbled by their trust in me and honored to serve. There is more work to be done,” Smith said in tweet that included the hashtag “#OneTeam.”

Smith has stated he thinks a labor stoppage is probable after the CBA ends, and also recently praised Colin Kaepernick for his charitable work.

Professional football players have not missed games since the 24-day strike in 1987, which started after Week 2 and led the NFL to cancel its Week 3 games and cut the season to 15 games. Only replacement players played during that time, until the strike ended after Week 6.

“After a comprehensive and professional process in line with our Constitution, the NFLPA selection committee unanimously selected DeMaurice Smith to continue in the role as our Executive Director,” said NFLPA president Eric Winston in a statement. “Congratulations to De and we know there is more work to be done.”

Smith was first elected as the union’s chief in 2009. The position is held in three-year terms.

The NFLPA recently got into a battle with the NFL over a decision regarding whether or not to suspend second-year Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott following accusations of domestic violence.

According to Yahoo Sport, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was close to signing a five-year extension this summer

Caption:BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 28: DeMaurice Smith (L), Executive Director of the NFLPA, speaks with Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti (R) before a game against the Carolina Panthers at M&T Bank Stadium on September 28, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

A U.S. District Court judge in Texas on Monday denied the NFL’s request for an emergency stay of the injunction he issued earlier this month that allowed Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to play in the team’s home opener against the New York Giants.

Ezekiel Elliott Suspension News

Elliott’s six-game suspension for an alleged domestic violence incident was placed on hold following the injunction.

Judge Amos Mazzant III’s decision now means 22-year-old Elliott’s case will advance to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, where the NFL has already filed an appeal in the case. The league has requested an emergency order in the case as early as Tuesday.

Elliott — the Cowboys’ second-year running back who set the NFL record for rushing yards last season — was suspended on Aug. 11 following a yearlong investigation that resulted in the league discovering that Elliott had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 in Ohio with his then-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. The NFL Players’ Association appealed Elliott’s ban on Aug. 15.

Arbitrator Harold Henderson denied Elliott’s appeal of the suspension on Sept. 5, although the running back was allowed to play against the Giants on Sept. 10 because of the timing of the decision.

On Saturday, the NFLPA responded to the league’s efforts to block the injunction by saying there would be no irreparable harm to the NFL if Elliott was allowed to continue to play while his case was adjudicated.

The NFL, meanwhile, argues Mazzant’s ruling interferes with a legally-binding labor deal that has been approved by the league and the NFLPA. This is the same argument the NFL used in ultimately successful appeals against Tom Brady for Deflate-gate and Adrian Peterson after the then-Minnesota Vikings running back pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault.

Mazzant’s review of Elliott’s case could take months, meaning the Cowboys running back almost certainly will play the entire 2017 season unless a stay is issued by the higher court.

Elliott was never charged with domestic violence and has denied any wrongdoing.

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The NFL and NFL Players’ Association issued opposing statements Wednesday regarding Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of a six-game suspension for an alleged domestic violence incident, with the league citing “shameful” attempts to discredit the victim in the Dallas Cowboys running back’s case and the union accusing the NFL of stating a “lie.”

Ezekiel Elliott domestic violence appeal news

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday that he was naming Harold Henderson to be the arbiter for Elliott’s appeal hearing on Aug. 29. Moments later, the league accused the NFLPA of “spreading derogatory information” to news outlets about Elliott’s accuser and leaking text messages sent by the woman.

Yahoo Sports reported that a text exchange between the alleged victim and friend was cited in “a portion of the NFL Players Association’s response to the NFL regarding Elliott’s suspension.”

The Yahoo Sports report also claimed that the woman — identified as Elliott’s ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson — admitted to NFL investigators of having engaged in a text exchange in which she discussed leveraging sex videos of her and Elliott for money from the running back.

The NFL cited a July 2016 incident in Columbus, Ohio between the alleged victim and Elliott as the main reason for banning the second-year running back six games for violating the league’s personal conduct/domestic violence policy.

“Over the past few days we’ve received multiple reports of the NFLPA spreading derogatory information to the media about the victim in Ezekiel Elliott discipline case,” the league’s statement read. “… these tactics are shameful. Efforts to shame and blame victims are often what prevent people from coming forward to report violence and/or seek help in the first place.”

The NFLPA responded with this statement: “The public statement issued on behalf of every NFL owner is a lie. The NFLPA categorically denies the accusations made in this statement. We know the League office has a history of being exposed for its lack of credibility. … They should be ashamed for stooping to new lows.”

The union officially filed an appeal of Elliott’s suspension on Tuesday. The NFL announced the suspension on Friday following a 13-month investigation. Columbus officials did not charge Elliott for any crimes following the alleged incident.

Henderson — a former chairman of the NFL’s management council executive committee — also was the arbiter for the appeal hearings of former Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy and then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Henderson shortened Hardy’s suspension for alleged domestic violence from ten games to four in 2015 and upheld Peterson’s indefinite suspension for child abuse in 2014.

Elliott has not comment since the start of training camp, although he wrote on Twitter that he disagreed with the league’s decision to ban him. The running back is allowed to attend his hearing later this month via a conference call or teleconference.

In a statement made after the league’s ruling last week, Elliott’s lawyers said, “The NFL’s findings are replete with factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions and it ‘cherry picks’ so called evidence to support its conclusion while ignoring other critical evidence.”

Elliott helped lead the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC last season, his rookie campaign, by finishing with 1,631 rushing yards, the most in the league. In seven games, he recorded 100 or more rushing yards.

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) union, has stated after over a year of litigation over how the NFL investigates and deals out punishment to its players, that league officials and the union are now getting closer to a deal that would force NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to give up his power over off-the-field player discipline.

NFL, Union Near Deal To Strip Roger Goodell Of Discipline Power

No deal has yet officially been reached, as several obstacles still remain. Nevertheless, Smith has stated that he feels optimistic about an agreement, even if it won’t come soon.

“We’ve been talking about changes to the personal conduct policy since October and have traded proposals,” said Smith, as he traveled to the Players Association’s annual meetings in Hawaii. “We looked at the league’s proposal for neutral arbitration. There is a common ground for us to get something done.”

NFL team owners will meet next week in Orlando.

Under the current system, which was lined out in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, Goodell serves as both judge and jury in cases pertaining player behavior. However, in the past year and a half, Goodell’s decisions in the high-profile cases of Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady have all been overturned either in court or by a retired judge who served as an arbitrator. In the latter two cases, the NFL appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Second and Eighth circuits, respectively.

One potential new rule that has been discussed is that of having three neutral arbitrators serving as hearing officers, according to sources familiar with the issue. These arbitrators would act as lawyers or former judges and would have some background in football. However, it remains to be seen exactly how the arbitrators would be selected. On certain multi-arbitrator panels, each side chooses one arbitrator and then those two arbitrators select a third together.

“I want to get to a better discipline situation,” Goodell said. “I have had discussions with the [players’] union…. The courts are not where we should be having these discussions.”

The current system runs through the 2020 season, and Smith said that if the NFL asked for an extension to the current collective bargaining agreement in exchange for changes in the discipline process, players would probably refuse to agree. NFL players might even demand a higher share of revenues next season given the league’s financial situation.

“It’s a player decision with what they want to do, but I can’t imagine there is any appetite to agree with any proposal that doesn’t wrap up all the litigation,” Smith said. “We can either continue to litigate or reach a collectively bargained conclusion.”

Caption:BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 28: DeMaurice Smith (L), Executive Director of the NFLPA, speaks with Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti (R) before a game against the Carolina Panthers at M&T Bank Stadium on September 28, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

The NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) has found itself on the winning side of an arbitration that is expected to cost the NFL more than $100 million.

NFL Withheld Over $120 Million From Players For 3 Years

The issue at hand concerns the shared revenue pool the NFL splits with its players. According to the Wall Street Journal, the league will be forced to return approximately $120 million in revenues that it incorrectly collected over the past three years.

Although an NFL spokesman confirmed to the WSJ that the NFLPA had won the arbitration, the spokesman did not reveal the specific amount the NFL would be paying back.

The annual salary cap is determined using the NFL’s total annual revenue. This revenue comes from ticket sales, sponsors and money made by the league during the playoffs.

As part of this arbitration, the NFLPA filed a grievance because “NFL owners had mischaracterized” a ticket revenue exemption that simply didn’t exist in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), according to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

“They created an exemption out of a fiction and they got caught,” Smith told the WSJ.

The NFL can withhold revenue money in some cases, like Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) and on deals that include stadium naming rights. However, the NFL can’t just decide to withhold all revenue sources, it can only withhold money that was agreed to in the aforementioned 2011 CBA.

Since Arbitrator Stephen Burbank has sided with the NFLPA, the extra $120 million collected by the NFL will be returned to the shared revenue pool “immediately.” Of that total, $50 million is expected to go to player salaries, which means the salary cap should increase by about $1.56 million per team in 2016, which makes perfect sense.

The NFLPA originally noticed the discrepancy while doing an audit in January, according to Smith.

“People have become accustomed to how we protect our rights when it comes to player discipline,” Smith said. “We are equally diligent when it comes to getting our share of revenues.”

Caption: BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 28: DeMaurice Smith (L), Executive Director of the NFLPA, speaks with Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti (R) before a game against the Carolina Panthers at M&T Bank Stadium on September 28, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

The NFLPA has reportedly filed a grievance against the New England Patriots for not allowing Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler to practice during voluntary OTAs, according to ESPN’s sources.

NFLPA Files Complaint Against Patriots

During the Pats’ OTAs many people were wondering, where was Malcolm Butler? The Super Bowl hero, who intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass to seal New England’s victory, was mysteriously missing from the field. Something that was only emphasized by the media’s coverage of the team’s defensive back situation: this year, with the departure of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the starting roles are up for grabs.

Apparently, Malcolm Butler’s flight was canceled due to inclement weather and he showed up to voluntary OTAs a day late. As a result, Bill Belichick benched the defensive back for over a week. So the NFLPA has decided to file a complaint against the Pats, but have done so without the approval of Butler, who just wanted to move forward from the incident.

Still, the grievance is happening with or without him, as the complaint was filed to the NFL Management Council. And the NFLPA  demanded “all video tape, any other recorded evidence and documentation that would include the team’s player attendance and participation lists” be released by July 1.

As for their argument, the union used Article 21 of the CBA as the basis for their complaint, according to ESPN’s sources. This article states that a player cannot receive “adverse consequences affecting his working conditions” if he missed a voluntary practice. And if he does, then that goes against the very literal definition of the word voluntary.

Belichick’s policy is that all players should plan accordingly for weather. It is a factor in New England and therefore his athletes should get in at least two days before the first day of practice. Therefore, a cancelled flight is not a proper excuse. Still, Butler was allowed to workout at the team’s facility and participate in playbook sessions during his suspension.