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 The settlement, approved by Judge Anita Brody, includes allowing for
monetary awards of up to $5 million per retired player for serious
medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma and could
cost the league $1 billion over 65 years.
NFL general counsel Jeff Pash said the league, with $10 billion in
annual revenues, looked forward "to implementing the terms of the
settlement and continuing to work with our players, coaches and
medical staffs to enhance the safety" of football.
But payments could be held up indefinitely if any player who is part
of the settlement files an appeal. If there are no appeals, players
could begin to see benefits from the settlement this summer.
The NFL is accused of covering up the dangers of concussions to keep
players on the field. The league and the players union estimate that
30 percent of former players will develop brain conditions like
Alzheimer’s or a less debilitating form of dementia.
Concussions have become a major issue for America's most popular
sports league, causing some players to cut short their careers,
including Chris Borland, a 24-year-old linebacker for the San
Francisco 49ers, who recently retired over concerns about long-term
head injuries.
"This is clearly a tremendous moment for the NFL retired player
community," Christopher Seeger, co-lead counsel for the players,
told a teleconference.
"With over 99 percent participation, it's clear that the retired
player community overwhelmingly supports this agreement and is eager
to begin taking advantage of its benefits."
In February, Brody, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania, refused to accept a proposed $765
million settlement between the league and the retired players over
concerns there was not enough money to cover the 65-year settlement.
Both sides reworked the deal, which is now uncapped. Among the other
changes is a provision giving players credit for time they played in
the NFL Europe.
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'WHAT MATTERS NOW IS TIME'
In her opinion approving the settlement, Brody noted that the
retired players would have faced significant hurdles if the case had
gone to trial. Only about 200 players opted out of the proposed
settlement.
"As a result of the settlement, retirees and their families will be
eligible for prompt and substantial benefits and will avoid years of
costly litigation that – as Judge Brody’s comprehensive opinion
makes clear – would have an uncertain prospect of success," Pash
said.
"What matters now is time, and many retired players do not have much
left," said Kevin Turner, a former running back for the Philadelphia
Eagles and New England Patriots who is part of the class-action
settlement.
"I hope this settlement is implemented without delay so that we can
finally start helping those in need."
The deal calls for baseline medical exams for retired NFL players.
It also calls for monetary awards for diagnoses of ALS (or Lou
Gehrig’s disease), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and
certain cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a
progressive degenerative disease set off by repeated head trauma.
(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Additional reporting by
Dan Kelley, Suzannah Gonzales and Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Fiona
Ortiz, Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)
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