A second petition filed by former NFL players landed on the Supreme Court's desk Monday asking that the $1 billion settlement of concussion lawsuits be rejected because it unfairly favors former players over future ones.
The former players are unhappy that chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnosed after April 2015 will not be compensated while CTE diagnosed before the cutoff can be compensated at up to $4 million under the settlement, The Associated Press reported. Lawyers argue the settlement violates Supreme Court rulings insisting all subgroups in a class-action settlement be treated fairly.
The petition will delay payouts from the settlement for several months or more as the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case.
The settlement was reached after 4,500 former NFL players or their families claimed the NFL knew about concussion risks and hid them. Studies have shown players with concussions have higher rates of developing dementia, depression, and committing suicide compared to those without concussions.
According to Sports Illustrated, the NFL admitted no fault in the settlement, which covers more than 20,000 retired players for the next 65 years for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and dementia, but not future cases of CTE, a progressive and degenerative brain condition that can only be diagnosed after an individual’s death.
Negotiators of the settlement deal argue the terms are fair and that the appeal is holding up payments that retirees need. The petition complains that a few players’ lawyers signed the deal too quickly so that their clients would be favored, the AP reported. One petitioner is 1996 Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.