The season doesn’t start for two more days but the the New Orleans Saints are already, 1-0. The four players suspend for their involvement in the Saints “bounty” program had their suspensions voided by a collective bargaining agreement appeals panel on Friday. The three person panel decided that the league didn’t have jurisdiction to suspend the players and the punishments handed out are vacaded immediately. 
Will Smith (4-games), Johnathan Vilma (entire season), Anthony Hargrove (8-games), and Scott Fujita (4-games) are reinstated and eligible to return to action this weekend, but they are not completely out of the woods yet. NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell can go back and suspend the players if he can prove that there was intent to injure.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell would ”make an expedited determination of the discipline imposed” for violating the league’s bounty rule.
”Until that determination is made, the four players are reinstated and eligible to play starting this weekend,” Aiello said.
Smith should play for the Saints this weekend, but it is assumed that Vilma is not healthy enough to play. Vilma will likely be placed on the physically unable to preform list and will not be eligible to return to action until after week six. Hargrove is a free agent and is free to sign with any team and would be available to play in their first game. Fujita is a member of the Browns and like Smith should be on the field for his team this weekend.
Vilma tweeted a quote from the popular comedy “Family Guy,” shortly after the decision was announced. The tweet read, “Victory is mine!!!! -stewie griffin”
Fujita also tweeted to his followers from his feed @scottfujita99, “I’m overwhelmed with all the support. Thank you so much everyone. Can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
The executive director of the NFLP, DeMaurice Smith commented through his twitter, @DeSmithNFLPA, “Regardless of outcomes, we fight for our players’ rights everyday.”
Just two days before the start of the regular season this victory for the Saints should help put a summer of defeats behind them. The Saints will host the Redskins on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The addition of Smith to the Saints defensive line should help the team contain Robert Griffin III who is making his NFL debut.
“I’m excited,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees told NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala. “I’ve been focused on the game, but I hoped that that would be the case. No, I’m not surprised. I wouldn’t call me surprised. Obviously, they saw the information that we’ve seen for a long time.”
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