Cowboys' La'el Collins Files Lawsuit Against NFL Over 5-Game Suspension

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle La'el Collins has filed a lawsuit in Texas against the NFL seeking to end his five-game suspension, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The lawsuit reportedly seeks a "temporary restraining order, a temporary injunction, and a permanent injunction against ongoing enforcement of the suspension."

Collins was suspended five games for violating the league's policy on substance abuse, though Todd Archer of ESPN reported he did not fail a drug test. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported Collins allegedly tried to bribe the test collector after multiple missed tests.

The player filed an appeal, but the arbitrator rejected the appeal and upheld the five-game suspension.

Collins representatives released a statement in September saying the league was "intentionally misleading" during the process:

Per Florio, the lawsuit says the NFL incorrectly claimed Collins had previously earned a four-game suspension for substance abuse and that the arbitrator relied on that fact to make the decision.

The lawsuit also says that based on league policy, missed tests only result in fines rather than a suspension.

The NFL called the lawsuit "meritless" in its response Wednesday:

Collins has already served three games of his suspension but is hoping to return to the field before missing two more weeks.

The 28-year-old has only played one game this season after starting 47 of 48 possible regular-season games over the previous three years.