In light of the judge’s ruling that the on Tuesday that the NFL must end the current lockout, the NFL has released a statement today outlining their plan going forward. In short, the NFL is instructing all teams to open their doors to players as of Friday morning at 8:00 AM.
As of right now, the lockout is over and teams are instructed to carry forward like it was a normal off season. Playbooks are to be distributed to players, off season workouts can commence, and players cannot be barred from working out in team facilities during off-days. Teams will also begin with free agency and transactions soon, but not until the NFL has distributed a list of guidelines and a new off season schedule.
However, this battle may not be over yet. The NFL is appealing the judge’s decision to higher courts, and depending upon their rulings, we could find ourselves back in the middle of a lockout before too long. Don’t get your hopes up too high yet; cautious optimism is the best bet going forward.