NFL Benefits Lawsuit

Ten former professional football players filed suit against the NFL yesterday, alleging the league intentionally arbitrarily denied benefits and misrepresented medical information to keep costs down. The group includes ex-running back Willis McGahee and former veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie.

Disability plans for former players are relatively generous, ranging from $65K to $256K annually. The players argue the issue is not the level of benefits but the difficulty in having medical claims approved—particularly the difficulty in establishing a direct causal link between long-term repetitive damage, including brain injuries, which may not manifest with symptoms immediately. Read more about the challenges NFL players face in securing injury claims here.

The suit comes ahead of Sunday's LVII Super Bowl, where the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs (6:30 pm ET, FOX). See our previous write-up here.