The NFL has finally reached a $765 million dollar settlement with more than 4,000 former players who suffered brain related injuries during their careers. This is big news for anyone who’s been following this story since its development. Former players and families of deceased players, sought settlements from the NFL for high medical bills, physical damage, and even the deaths of some players. Some players and families accused the leagues of mishandling concussions for a long period of time. Players who suffered concussions were said to be thrown back onto the field with little or no precaution taken. A large number of former NFL players are currently suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and extreme depression. 5 years ago, no one would have thought to link any of those medical conditions to football. Now, we have all become more aware of the effect that football has on the human body even after a player retires. In recent years, we’ve seen a climb in the number of deaths related to injuries sustained during a NFL career. Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau killed himself with a gunshot to the chest. It was later determined the his mental health had taken a dive due to complications of dementia after suffering multiple serious concussions over his lengthy career. Seau’s death hit home for a lot of people, including myself. I am a very passionate San Diego Chargers fan and I had the pleasure to watch Seau dominate the league. His death was really an eye opener for a lot of people inside and outside of the NFL. The matter of concussions and players safety then became top priority. In the last 5 years, the NFL has done more to upgrade player safety than it has done in the leagues entire existence. It wasn’t that the NFL was ignoring player safety, it just so happened that no one was really aware of how serious all of this was.
The future of the NFL and its players is now brighter than ever. One player, Kevin Turner, a former running back with the Patriots and Eagles who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, was especially pleased that the NFL and the former players had come to an agreement. ”Chances are … I won’t make it to 50 or 60, but I have money now to put back for my children to go to college and for a little something to be there financially,” stated Turner, who is now 44. Under the settlement, individual payouts would be $5 million for players with Alzheimer’s disease, $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathyand $3 million for players with dementia. That is a large amount of money but no sum could ever take away the pain, or right the deaths of former players. The NFL has implemented rule changes, equipment altercations, and programs that teach kids how to properly and safely play the game of football. The last thing we need is to go through all of this again when current players are getting ready to retire. The league is doing anything, and everything in its power to prevent concussions that’ll eventually lead to those life threatening health issues. As a fan, I am truly proud of the NFL and the former players for their patients and dedication while going through this tough period. Football will always be a gladiators sport but safety always comes first, on and off the field.
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