Two NFL sources have stated that the NFL is considering not suspending Saints defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith in the StarCaps case. After the Eight Court ruled that Vikings players Kevin and Pat Williams could pursue their lawsuit in Minnesota courts, thus barring the NFL from suspending them for this year, the NFL had a problem on their hands.
Sources: NFL May Give Saints Players Reprieve
The Saints players did not have the same recourse to legal action that the Vikings players did because the state laws of Minnesota and Louisiana differ. This left the NFL with a thorny problem; they could follow through with their suspensions in an effort to enforce their authority over the players and the union (the NFL is none too happy about the Vikings lawsuit) but in doing so they would be perceived as acting unfairly and of altering the competitive balance in the NFL. While legally on firm footing, the NFL has always been very conscious of its public image and the integrity of the game.
By not following through on the Charles Grant and Will Smith suspensions, the NFL can avoid controversy this season and wait for the Vikings case to make its way through court.
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