THE SIDELINES : Holdout Linebacker Sues NFL

John Grimsley, the unsigned Houston Oilers’ linebacker, has filed suit in federal court, charging the 28 NFL teams with denying players the right to sell their services on the open market.

“What I want to do is play football, and they’re keeping me from doing that,” said Grimsley, who led the Oilers in tackles last year. “All I want is a chance to pursue a chance to play football.”

U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon denied Grimsley a temporary injunction on Wednesday that would have allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. A hearing on the case was set for Saturday.

Grimsley was paid $350,000 last season and reportedly has been offered $500,000 for this season. He wants $700,000.

The NFL and the NFL Players Assn. have been without a collective-bargaining agreement since 1987. One of the major stumbling blocks centers on unrestricted free agency.