Acknowledging significant gains made for former players in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson dismissed Eller v. NFL Players Association yesterday in Minneapolis.
In the order, Nelson wrote, “(T)here can be no dispute that a better package of benefits was in fact obtained for the retired players in the 2011 CBA as compared to those in the former CBA. No jury could reasonably find that the active players did not do better by the retired players in the 2011 CBA.”
A group of 28 retired NFL players, led by former NFL player Carl Eller had filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the NFL Players Association, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and former NFL player Mike Vrabel.
Eller and his group of retired players had previously sued both the NFL and the NFLPA. That action was dismissed as well.
This latest suit claimed that once the NFLPA decertified in March, just prior to the NFL lockout, the defendants had no authority to negotiate and agree to terms on behalf of retired NFL Players. Eller’s attorney Michael Hausfeld had previously stated that the goal of the lawsuit was to “readjust the deal to better reflect the interest of the retirees.”
“We are pleased with the decision by the court yesterday, which affirms the NFLPA’s tireless commitment to supporting all former NFL players. We will continue our work to unite every member of the former player community, because when we stand together with a common agenda based on common principles, we can better protect our rights and advance our interests,” said Cornelius Bennett, Chairman of the NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors.
