SHERMAN, Texas – Federal Judge Amos Mazzant denied the request to halt the five-game suspension of offensive lineman La’el Collins.
The NFL sued the offensive lineman for bribery that served a significant role in rejecting the preliminary injunction. Collins’ representatives expressly denied these accusations.
The court announced the suspension after the Cowboys’ loss against Tampa Bay.
Amos Mazzant issued his ruling last Tuesday to suspend Mazzant because of violating the league’s bargaining agreement. This ruling prohibits Collins from playing in New England on Sunday.
La’el Collins’ suspension would only allow him to play in the Minnesota game in the eighth week.
Consequently, La’el Collins also sued the NFL, accompanied by its commissioner and management council. Collins based his lawsuit on the updated labor code prohibiting the league from suspending its players on missed marijuana tests.
The lawsuit also accuses the NFL of misleading the arbitrator when filing for the initial appeal. Despite the NFLPA negotiating to reduce the ban to only two games, the arbitrator issued Collins the full five-day ban.
Peter Shaffer, Collins’ representative, expressed his optimism in winning the case in a “fair hearing, a fair court, with a judge like we had here.” Schaffer continued by stating Collins’s contribution to the league and its honor to represent him in this case.
On the other hand, Commissioner Roger Goodell defends this lawsuit by reiterating Collins’ continuous violation of the league’s policies,
NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy stated that “this suit is meritless.” As a result, McCarthy looks to dismiss this case as soon as possible.
