APNewsBreak: Former NFL players join lockout fight

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Four former NFL players, including Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller, have sued the NFL in hopes of joining current players in their antitrust fight against the league.

Eller, former Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes and ex-players Obafemi Ayanbadejo and Ryan Collins are listed as plaintiffs in the 44-page complaint filed Monday in federal court in Minneapolis. It seeks class-action status on behalf of all former players.

They're asking that the lockout be lifted to ensure their pensions and health benefits remain funded. An attorney for the players says if the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement lasts for a year, those benefits will end.

Attorney Shawn Stuckey says retired players should have a “voice at the table,” too.