Pat Williams, left, and Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings are fighting their NFL suspensions. (David Sherman/Getty Images)

The playing status of Minnesota Vikings defensive linemen Kevin and Pat Williams is uncertain after a judge on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order blocking an NFL suspension.

The league on Tuesday handed out four-game suspensions to the Vikings duo, who are not related, and four other NFL players for violating the league's anti-doping policy.

Hennepin County, Minn., district judge Gary Larson issued a temporary restraining order at the request of the Vikings players. The judge said he would hear arguments as soon as possible.

The players had appealed that the banned diuretic Bumetanide was not listed as an ingredient in StarCaps, a weight-loss supplement they had taken.

The NFL had countered that players are responsible for everything that goes into their bodies. The league also said it had issued two separate bulletins specifically related to StarCaps in 2006, prohibiting its use.

The diuretic can serve as a masking agent for steroids.

"This is one of the more difficult cases I've had in 23 years," Larson said before signing the order. "If I make a mistake, I've got to decide on a temporary basis which side I'm able to make the mistake on."

The judge said he expected lawyers for the NFL, who participated in the hearing by phone, would take the issue to federal court in Minneapolis to get the suspensions reinstated.

Minnesota is 7-5, with the Williamses leaders of a vaunted defensive unit.

The other suspended players were running back Deuce McAllister, defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints, as well as long snapper Bryan Pittman of the Houston Texans.

With files from the Associated Press