An appellate court on Monday affirmed the landmark legal settlement that compels the National Football League to pay potentially thousands of retired players up to $5 million for hiding the dangers of repeated head hits on the field. In doing so, the court rejected a claim by some players that the deal did not go far enough to compensate players.
The decision, in a 69-page ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, came almost a year after a district court judge in Philadelphia approved the deal over the objections of some players who argued the terms were too restrictive and would not take care of many players who develop neurological problems over time.