The settlement would cost the league $765 million, the vast majority of which would go to compensate athletes with certain neurological ailments, plus plaintiffs' attorney fees. Under the settlement, individual payouts would be capped at $5 million for men with Alzheimer's disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and $3 million for players with dementia.
"My whole deal,nba jerseys discount, and the other lawsuit with images, is all about health care, which we don't have," said Joe DeLamielleure, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Buffalo Bills. "Some reporter called and said, 'That comes out to $170,000 per man.' I said, 'Good, I don't want that. I want health care.' Because what good is the money going to do you?"
Dorsett and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon were among the more than 4,500 former athletes — some suffering from dementia, depression or Alzheimer's — who have sued the NFL since the first case was filed in Philadelphia in 2011. They accused the league of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field, while glorifying and profiting from the kind of bone-jarring hits that make for spectacular highlight-reel footage.
"Wow," Dorsett said,Seattle Seahawks Apparel Clearance, pausing. "I'm glad to see this has come to somewhat of an end. But the research obviously is going to be important, the safety of the players is going to be extremely important."
"I'm shocked that it is settled. I'm used to the NFL taking a hard-line approach as they have throughout the years with strikes and everything else," said former offensive tackle Lomas Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler with Detroit, Arizona, Cleveland, the New York Giants and Tampa Bay. "I'm curious how they came up with the figure and I've got a lot of questions, but I am happy that it's done. Any time the NFL acknowledges they are ready to settle something, it shows they knew they had some sort of negligence."
The settlement still has to be approved by Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia, something lead plaintiffs' lawyer Christopher Seeger said he expects to happen in the next 60 to 90 days.
The settlement also sets aside $75 million for medical exams, and all former NFL players are eligible to seek care, screening or compensation — whether they suffered a documented concussion or not. The amounts they receive will be based on their age, condition and years of play.
Tony Dorsett hopes a proposed $765 million settlement with the NFL can make a difference in the lives of thousands of former players who are suffering from dementia and other concussion-related brain injuries.
The NFL has insisted that safety has always been a top priority, and in settling the thousands of cases it admitted no wrongdoing. While a trial could have forced the NFL to disclose what it knew,Chad Williams Jersey, and when, about concussion-linked brain problems, Seeger said the plaintiffs' greater concern was a fair settlement — and one that would be paid immediately.
"They deserve it, there's no question about it," said Mike Ditka, who played tight end for the Chicago Bears and later coached the 1986 Super Bowl winners. "It's absolutely good to see that. I think people have hid behind this too long. It's time it's out in the open."
"I'm not going to say it was settled. I'm going to say it was a good start," said Rayfield Wright, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys. "It's not the end of it because there are a lot of other players that will come up with the same situations, so I think the league has to find some kind of way to address the issue because it's going to happen. Those are issues that have to be resolved,Air Max Cheap Wholesale, and I don't think they're going to be resolved overnight."
But it's better than what the players had before.
Already, Pro Bowler Junior Seau and former Atlanta Falcon Ray Easterling, one of the first players to file a lawsuit, have committed suicide. Former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Kevin Turner has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, at 44,Authentic Nike NFL Gear, and fears he might not live to see his 50th birthday. Dorsett finds himself forgetting how to get places he's been going for 30 years, and his 10-year-old daughter now complains that they can't do certain things together because "Daddy won't remember how to do it."
The settlement would mean immediate compensation for ailing former players and their families, as well as med