Football

Former Pittsburgh Steeler coach Chuck Noll’s contract and recent coaching record were the focus of debate at the NFL antitrust trial, with the players’ attorneys critical of both.

Attorneys for the eight players suing the league over its free-agency system said Noll’s 10-year consulting deal with the Steelers, which took effect in 1989, is worth $1 million.

Money, particularly salary, is a continuing issue in the trial no matter who is on the witness stand. The players are claiming that the Plan B free agency system put in place by the league in 1989 unfairly blocks them from negotiating with other teams and restricts their income.