Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson was suspended 10 games this past season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.
Johnson decided that he didn’t want to take the suspension and loss of money without a fight. He first filed a complaint against the NFLPA with the Department of Labor (more on that here).
Then, a little while later, Johnson sued both the Players Association and the NFL in an attempt to overturn the suspension, a suit that would let him recoup the lost game checks from the suspension.
As it has done multiple times in the past, the NFL is now turning to the Feds to drop the case.
NFL moves to dismiss Lane Johnson lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction and alternatively seeks transfer to NY: pic.twitter.com/hKqbyQCGow
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) January 25, 2017
The NFL fighting it out with players and the union tasked with protecting their rights isn’t necessarily a new thing. Doing so in federal court most definitely isn’t new. Just ask Tom Brady.
This specific motion asks a disctrict court in Ohio to dismiss the case under the premise that the court itself does not have jurisdiction over league matters.
Really, this is an issue that’s going to keep popping up until the Feds themselves decide whether they do have jurisdiction over NFL collective bargaining issues. That has yet to happen, at least when it comes to a blanket declaration from the government.
This is most definitely something to keep an eye on. Some were hoping precedent would be set in the Brady case. However, the New England Patriots’ quarterback decided that further fighting in federal court wasn’t the way to go when he dropped his case immediately prior to the 2016 season.