After four months, the NFL lockout has come to a conclusion.
NFL player representatives voted unanimously Monday to recommend approval of a new, ten-year collective bargaining agreement, bringing an unofficial end the league’s four-month lockout.
The remaining obstacles are not expected to prove problematic. The NFL players named as plaintiffs in the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit “have agreed to sign off on the settlement” (nfl.com, 7/25), and the recertification of the NFL Players Association is not expected to be “a stumbling block” (USA Today, 7/25).
The new collective bargaining agreement will last for ten years and will not include an opt-out clause.
NFL players will begin reporting to training camps on Wednesday, and free agency will begin on Friday.
(Information from nfl.com, usatoday.com; ‘Back to Football’ logo from Fang’s Bites)
