Is there a rift among the players now that the NFL Lockout is over one month old? According to a series of tweets by Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal, a "group of players described as mid tier" are upset over the Brady v. NFL case and wanted the March talks to continue. These 70 players, who have approached a law firm, would like to file a motion with Judge Susan Nelson in order to enter the current legal battles as well as the mediation that is ongoing.
If this group of players was granted its motion to join the lawsuit, they would not argue against the current Brady v. NFL case, which had the Eller v. NFL lawsuit consolidated with it earlier in April. The Brady v. NFL case is actually a consolidation of a number of high-profile players suing the NFL, but this separate group has other interests at stake that those star players don't have. These mid-tier players are much more financially dependent on playing than the stars who have already reaped their rewards.
Will the NFL owners be able to use this apparent rift to their advantage in reaching a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players?