The National Football League’s first ever work stoppage since 1987 has come to an end with Commissioner Roger Goodell saying “Football’s back.”  The lockout in negotiations began in March this year and was concluded with a 10-year deal agreed upon with the NFL Players Association yesterday afternoon.

NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith said during a brief appearance, “I know it has been a very long process since the day we stood here that night in March. But our guys stood together when nobody thought we would. And football is back because of it.” The old collective bargaining agreement expired on March 11, causing owners to lock out their players in the longest labor dispute in the league’s history.

As early as Thursday last week, owners had approved a new proposal intending to end the dispute but both sides worked through the weekend to finalize the agreement to satisfy the players’ demands.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft apologized to the fans for the last five months tackling the business side of football but was optimistic about the results, “We’ve been able to have an agreement that I think is going to allow this sport to flourish over the next decade.”

Starting today, players can start showing up in their team facilities for physicals and start of training. Teams can also start negotiations with free agents but sign ups don’t happen until Friday. Admittedly, there is a furious rush to start on the work left unattended since the beginning of the lockout, now that talks have returned from the negotiating table back into the field.

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