As the lawyers representing the NFL owners and players work to try to close out the remaining obstacles to a new collective bargaining agreement, two of the plaintiffs in the Brady vs. NFL lawsuit have reportedly set their own price for settlement of the case.
The agents for San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson and New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins are reportedly seeking that their clients become unrestricted free agents once the lockout is lifted, or receive $10 million payments as part of the settlement of the Brady vs. NFL antitrust lawsuit, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
There is precedent for the demand by Jackson and Mankins. As part of the Reggie White antitrust lawsuit vs. the NFL in 1993, which instituted free agency, the plaintiffs in that case received a lifetime exemption from the franchise tag.
Settlement of the Brady vs. NFL lawsuit is one of the remaining legal issues to be resolved in conjunction with a new CBA. ESPN has reported that the two sides in the dispute have been discussing resolving the Brady vs. NFL case, along with the television “lockout insurance” case as part of a global settlement that would be executed following ratification of a new CBA.
The players have a meeting in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Wednesday ahead of a scheduled meeting of all 32 NFL owners on Thursday in Atlanta.
