As was initially rumored last week, the NFL Players Association has officially filed a grievance against the New England Patriots.
The NFLPA is using the grievance in an attempt to collect an $82,000 workout bonus that former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez earned while he was still a part of the organization. Hernandez was cut by the team shortly after his arrest on murder charges in June, and the bonus, which was scheduled for Aug. 1, was never paid.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported news of the grievance, which the NFLPA confirmed in a statement to Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
“On behalf of all players, it is our responsibility to protect the rights in the collective bargaining agreement,” the statement read. “We are not tone-deaf to what the allegations are in this case, but for the benefit of all players, there are important precedents here we must protect.”
A Massachusetts grand jury formally indicted Hernandez last Thursday, charging him with first-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd.
