Appeals panel overturns New Orleans Saints players suspensions

In a unanimous 3-0 vote, the suspensions of Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove have been overturned in the NFL’s bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints. The appeals panel reached the decision today. Per guidelines the four players have been reinstated effective immediately and makes them eligible to play on Sunday.

“Consistent with the panel’s decision, commissioner  Roger Goodell will, as directed, make an expedited determination of the discipline imposed for violating the league’s pay-for-performance/bounty rule. Until that determination is made, the four players are reinstated and eligible to play starting this weekend,” the NFL said in a statement.

The players can – and likely will – still be punished but not for a few weeks. The panel is not disputing bounty-gate took place, they’re just asking for clarification on the suspensions and the reasons behind them.