The NFL announced the move – which will allow the players to work out, get medical treatment and meet with coaches at training facilities – just hours before the start of the annual draft. The decision came after a federal judge ordered that the League lift its lockout of players and rejected an appeal by owners.
The NFL has asked a federal appeals court to delay enforcement of the ruling, but the League acknowledged that it was appropriate for teams to take initial steps in response to the preliminary injunction.
“Football is back,” DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, told Bloomberg. “Not only do our fans deserve to have the game they love, it’s important to know that something as inextricably intertwined with American culture is back.”
The NFL added that it would distribute guidelines to its 32 teams on how to deal with player transactions, including trades, signings, tryouts and cuts. The League instituted the lockout on March 12 after negotiations with players over a collective bargaining agreement collapsed, with the two sides unable to reach a deal on how to divide US$9 billion in annual revenue.
