Philadelphia ? Terrell Owens’ future remains in limbo.

The All-Pro wide receiver is awaiting a decision by an arbitrator following his grievance hearing against the Philadelphia Eagles that lasted more than 13 hours Friday.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch is expected to issue a decision by Tuesday. Owens’ side argued his four-game suspension was excessive and the Eagles’ plan to deactivate him once that time is up was far too severe a penalty.

“There’s no authority under the collective-bargaining agreement to both suspend the player for four weeks and then send him home for the rest of the season,” said attorney Jeffrey Kessler, representing the NFL Players’ Association. “Second, the four games itself we don’t believe satisfy the legal standards.”

Both Kessler and Richard Berthelsen, general counsel for the union, were optimistic Owens wouldn’t have to sit out the remainder of the season.

If Bloch rules the Eagles have to reinstate Owens, the team could be forced to allow him to practice and use their facility, but they don’t have to play him.

“We believe they have to restore the status he was in and that he has to be treated like any other player at that point,” Kessler said. “Now I guess if someone thinks there’s a better receiver on the Eagles, the coach doesn’t have to play him.”

Philadelphia could release Owens to avoid the distraction of having him around the team. The Eagles would rather wait until after the season to let him go.

Neither Owens nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, spoke with reporters after leaving the hearing late Friday night, but Kessler made it clear Owens wanted to return to the Eagles, despite eight hours

of contentious testimony against him from coach Andy Reid and other members of the organization.