The NFL agreed a settle of $765 million with 4,500 former NFL players last August. The players believed that the NFL knew the extent to which concussions suffered while playing the game could be detrimental to their long term health and that the NFL profited at their cost.
A Pennsylvania judge yesterday rejected the settlement saying that the parties involved in the case had not sufficiently convinced her that the $765 million would be enough to cover the medical costs of the players.
From The New York Times:
The judge’s ruling will probably force the plaintiffs’ lawyers and the N.F.L. to provide documents proving there will be enough money to pay for the retired players’ claims. If the judge remains unconvinced, the league could contribute more to the settlement, change the amount of the payouts to different categories of players, or limit who may be eligible.
$765 million really is just a drop in the ocean for a league whose estimated annual revenue for this season was $10 billion and has plans to reach an annual revenue of $25 billion by 2027.
