(Jerry Lai/USA Today Sports)
Over the years, concussions has been one of the biggest issues in the NFL as players have been concerned over what type of impact these injuries could have on them down the road in life. Now, it looks like the league can breath a sign of relief as the NFL reached a settlement with around 4,500 players.
BREAKING: The NFL’s nightmare scenario is over. Judge announced settlement between the league and the 4,500 players suing over head trauma.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) August 29, 2013
NFL will pay $765 million “to fund medical exams, concussion-related compensation, and a program of medical research” for 4,500 plaintiffs.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) August 29, 2013
So with the settlement, the $765 million works out to be around $170,000 per player–which seems fair for both parties. As much as the NFL wanted to get this settled as quickly as possible, it’s understandable why former players and their families fought so hard for this case considering how many incidents there have been over the years when it comes to head trauma from playing football.
Last summer was the perfect example of how concussions can make an impact on a player’s life post-football as former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau took his own life–causing an even bigger concern to this issue. Players may know the risk of playing football each time they step on the field, but it’s good to see the two sides reach an agreement over this case before the official start of the regular season.
Hopefully, this is just another positive step when it comes to making the game of football more safe.
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