NFL Network health and safety chief correspondent Andrea Kremer was in New Orleans on Thursday to cover the developments regarding player health and safety, including the league agreeing to allow an independent doctor to be on the sidelines during games and the NFL Players Association’s survey of players’ trust of team medical staff.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told Kremer that it’s vital that either the team doctor or the independent doctor can have final say over whether or not a player should be removed from a game.

Another hot-button topic is HGH testing, which the league wants to implement. Jeff Pash, NFL executive vice president of labor and general counsel, told Kremer the only issue of substance is the scope of player appeal rights. Pash also said the league has sent a proposal to the player’s association, and the ball now is in the union’s court, but he expects testing to begin this offseason.

– Justin Hathaway, NFL.com