Reference no: EM132245026

Concussions and the National Football League (NFL) Playing professional football, almost by definition, is not one of the “safest” jobs in the world, especially at the level of the U.S. National Football League (NFL) where players get injured almost every week of play. Sprained ankles, torn ligaments, concussions, and broken bones are pretty much par for the course. Over the past few decades, however, retired NFL players, in particular, have been raising concerns about how repetitive head injuries/concussions sustained while playing in the NFL have deleteriously impacted them later in life. Evidence began to mount that many retired NFL players faced considerable neurological problems later in life, including issues such as permanent brain damage, dementia, and much higher than average incidents of Alzheimer’s disease and clinical depression. Some NFL players have arguably even committed suicide due to degenerative brain disease. During 2011 and 2012 various retired NFL players brought lawsuits against the NFL with respect to this issue. The players argued that the professional football league knew or should have known the risks to NFL players due to concussions/traumatic repetitive brain injuries suffered during the NFL games, and that it did not do enough to prevent these injuries. In August 2013, the NFL agreed to settle these lawsuits by paying a total of $765 million to retired NFL players who have suffered injuries in this regard. Retired players suffering from Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases will receive as much as $3 million apiece, while those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease/A.L.S. will receive up to $5 million. All retired NFL players will be eligible for paid neurological medical monitoring and baseline testing with $75 million allocated to pay for this. Moreover, the NFL will also give $10 million to fund brain injury research and various education/safety programs. Copyright: Paul Orr/Shutterstock Professional football is greatly concerned about player safety and the effectiveness of equipment and rules in protecting players. Is this monetary settlement a fair one? Certainly the $765 million number is a very significant one, with retired players potentially receiving significant individual compensation. Also, the funds for future research could be very meaningful. Moreover, the settlement avoided potentially years of costly litigation, with likely little remedy of the situation while the litigation had been ongoing. That said, many feel that the NFL “got off cheap” with respect to the settlement deal. In one year, the NFL’s total revenues amounted to about $9.5 billion, and observers expect that to more than double to about $25 billion by the year 2025. Under the settlement agreement, the NFL must pay half of the $765 million over the next three years, but then has another 17 years to pay off the remaining sum. Clearly, the league’s future revenue stream should likely be able to support these payments. Moreover, there are concerns that the agreement does not really get at the more systemic issue of making the game safer. Critics feel changes will have to start at the youth, high school, and college levels—levels of football play that involve many more individuals than the 4,800 former NFL players involved in given lawsuits. Some also feel that the $765 million payment will lead folks to overlook ongoing safety concerns that continue to exist. Not all individuals or even NFL players feel this way, however. Some observers note that “football is football,” and those playing it at all levels in a sense accept the inherent dangers involved in the game. Moreover, NFL players are very well paid professionals, with many making millions of dollars per year. Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman, for example, has strongly pointed out that NFL players have chosen their profession, and thus feels that these types of injury concerns are to some extent overblown. Sherman observes that current NFL players are aware of all the risks and have decided to play anyway. He notes that football is a violent way to make a living, but that it is part of what is great about the game and shouldn’t be watered down. On the other hand, quarterback Brett Favre states that he has experienced memory loss that worries him, including not remembering his daughter playing youth soccer during one summer. He believes concussions have had a negative impact on his life and fears he might develop a brain disease experienced by many other athletes who have experienced hits to the head.

1. To what extent should there be something of a caveat emptor/buyer beware when someone chooses to professionally play football in the NFL?

2. Can the NFL ever really make professional football totally safe?

3. Is playing in the NFL different from being a NASCAR driver, a police officer, or an astronaut?