NFL owners were dealt an important victory Monday on the lockout front when the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for a full stay on the injunction that would have otherwise put an end to the lockout that’s shut down the league for more than the two months now.
For free agents and rookies in particular, Monday’s decision is a disheartening one. Though expected, the decision means there can be no player transactions until the NFL’s appeal is hear in full in a St. Louis Court next month. Oral arguments will be heard on June 3rd, with a final decision expected several weeks after.
The decision is a big one for several reasons. The first obviously being that the league will not be forced to implement rules to govern player transactions in the immediate interim before a final ruling is issued next month. The second and perhaps more significant reason is that Monday’s ruling could be an indication of how the league’s appeal will be interpreted in early June.
There are still more questions than answers at this point, but for those hoping to see a miraculous end to the ongoing labor impasse in the NFL anytime soon, Monday’s developments were a step in the wrong direction.