NFL, players' lawyers make formal pitch for concussion plan

By foxsports
Published

PHILADELPHIA (AP) The NFL and opposing lawyers have filed a 208-page defense of their final plan to settle thousands of concussion lawsuits.

The filing comes as Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia appears poised to approve the deal after several revisions.

The settlement is expected to cost the NFL more than $1 billion over 65 years.

Retired players with severe cognitive illnesses could get up to $5 million. The average payout for someone with dementia is expected to be about $190,000.

About 200 of the league's 20,000 retirees have opted out and could sue on their own.

The lawsuits accuse the NFL of hiding the known risks of playing after a concussion.

The joint filing calls the settlement ''historic'' and says ''tremendous financial weight of the NFL stands behind (it).''