Philadelphia Eagles' right tackle Lane Johnson is going against the NFLPA, and he's not holding back in his lawsuit against the organization, saying it has "blood on its hands" in regards to his 10-game PED suspension from last season.
According to Alex Marvez of SportingNews, Johnson's attorneys have filed a 31-page memorandum against the NFLPA. Johnson is looking for his suspension to be retroactively overturned, which would entitle him to lost salary and guarantees, but he's also looking to clear his name.
Last season's suspension was Johnson's second in four seasons with the Eagles, but he apparently felt that it wasn't warranted. Per Marvez, Johnson felt his positive test was because he took an NFLPA-approved supplement that contained an illegal substance under the NFL's drug-testing policy.
That's why the Eagles' star feels the NFLPA is to blame for his suspension, and he can't get that playing time back, but at the very least he'd like to be paid what he feels he's owed.
Here's more from Marvez:
Johnson filed a lawsuit and unfair labor practices complaint against the NFL and NFLPA claiming he was a victim of union negligence and "fundamentally unfair" appeals process. Among the complaints was the use of an arbitrator (James H. Carter) that Johnson's lawyers claim "previously represented the NFL, whose firm has received millions of dollars from the NFL and who was otherwise affiliated with the NFL."
An NFLPA filing claims that Carter was a "properly selected neutral arbitrator with impeccable credentials and no evident partiality in this matter." The union's filing also says Johnson's complaints came only after his appeal was denied.
The NFL's filing claims that "Johnson's complaints amount to nothing more than an impermissible attempt to re-litigate his disciplinary appeal in federal court."
Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 303-pound offensive tackle out of Oklahoma. He was drafted No. 4 overall by the Eagles in the 2013 NFL draft.
