After months of legal threats and failed negotiations, several high-profile US football players are suing the National Football League for allegedly violating antitrust law by staging a lockout to coerce them into playing in a less-than-competitive marketplace.

A member of the US Congress has suggested that the antitrust exemption that allows the National Football League to bargain on behalf of its member teams should be repealed – alleging that the league has demonstrated a disregard for players' wellbeing that could justify the repeal.