NFL owners talk player safety

Associated Press

With the Saints bounty case moving to grievance hearings and court, NFL owners will talk about player safety when they meet today.

The issue is on the agenda for the owners’ session in Atlanta, where commissioner Roger Goodell is certain to be asked about Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s defamation lawsuit against him. Meanwhile, Goodell’s authority for administering discipline is being challenged by the players’ union, Vilma and three other players suspended for their roles in the pay-for-hits system.

That’s the hot topic, but hardly the only topic. Owners also will discuss several bylaw changes that were tabled in March, including designating one player suffering a major injury before Week 2 of the season as eligible to return from injured reserve, and moving the trading deadline back two weeks to after Week 8.

Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, chairman of the competition committee, expects both measures to pass.

“There were good ideas and suggestions, no resistance,” he said at the last meetings. “We’ll work on the language.”

The language from the players punished in the bounty case has been strong and challenging of the league’s findings. Vilma’s lawsuit claims Goodell made false statements that tarnished the linebacker’s reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living playing football. Vilma has been suspended for the 2012 season.

The union filed a grievance with an arbitrator asserting that Goodell has no power to discipline players for actions that occurred before the league’s current labor agreement was signed last August.

On other issues, the NFL has informally looked at further changes to kickoff returns, and equipment issues also could be discussed at these meetings, with a close eye on concussions.