A $750 million settlement between the NFL and thousands of former players, who say the league downplayed the risk of concussions during their employment with the NFL, was rejected on Tuesday by a judge who said it might not be enough to pay for all of the affected players. The previously proposed deal set aside $5 million for each former player diagnosed with a certain brain condition as a result of their time playing in the NFL. More than 4,500 players were named plaintiffs in the lawsuit and up to 20,000 could ultimately be eligible for payment. U.S. District Attorney, Judge Anita Brody said that she was concerned that all retired NFL players who received the diagnosis would not get paid. “Even if only 10 percent of retired NFL football players eventually receive a qualifying diagnosis, it is difficult to see how the monetary award fund would have the funds available over its lifespan to pay all claimants at these significant award levels,” the decision said. Brody called on the NFL and plaintiffs to submit documentation that they believed showed the money set aside was adequate to meet the potential need. According to outside legal observers, the league may need to raise its settlement off in order to win the judge’s approval. The lawsuit contended that the league hid the dangers of brain injury among players while profiting from the sport’s sometimes violent physical contact. Read more on this article.
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