As the NFL lockout enters its 40th day, the NFL Players Association might not be as united as they'd like the owners to think.
Sports Business Daily is reporting that as many as 70 players are close to signing with a law firm with hopes of intervening in the Tom Brady antitrust case. The report cites unnamed sources, who contend that the group isn't contesting the lawsuit, but that they would just like to explain their take on the labor dispute from their own seat at the mediation table.
The group is reportedly unhappy with the way earlier mediation talks ended last month prior to the NFLPA filing for decertification.
The NFL Players Association's initial lawsuit was filed by 10 of the NFL's highest profile players, including Brady, Peyton Manning, Mike Vrabel and Drew Brees. The splinter group is comprised mainly of mid-tier players, according to the Sports Business Daily.
Vrabel told Ed Werder of ESPN.com that he was not aware of the report, but echoed that everyone on the players side is unhappy with the way mediation ended last month in Washington, but argued that splitting up is not the answer.
"We all have a seat at the table already. If they're unhappy, then we should get together and elect a new executive board," he told ESPN.
Before the law firm will file the intervention, it wants at least 75 players on board, the Sports Business Daily reported. If player dissent continues to grow, the new group of players could file as early as the end of this week.
