Judge Nelson Orders End To NFL Lockout, But League Is Appealing

Confusion reigned in the NFL last night and this morning after a federal judge ruled the 46-day-old lockout was illegal, but unexpectedly did not stay her decision pending appeal and ordered an end to the work stoppage. The NFL also late last night in a court filing said if forced to open for business, it may ask the class of players suing the league to post a bond in the event the decision is overturned.

Nevertheless, the NFL said after the late afternoon ruling that its business would not open this morning pending a planned emergency stay from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which could take several days. The NFL is not going to begin implementing new work rules unless the stay is denied at the 8th Circuit, where the league has a high degree of confidence it will prevail.

U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson ruled for the players in the case Brady v NFL, which was filed March 11 seeking to lift the lockout and end most free agency restrictions. Her ruling is confined only to the lockout.