Judge: NFL, players to settle concussion lawsuits - Green Bay Press Gazette

He said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the team owners told pro footballs lawyers to do the right thing for the game and for the men who played it.

The plaintiffs include Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon and the family of Pro Bowl selection Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year.

Kevin Turner, a former running back with the Patriots and Eagles who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrigs disease, thanked the two sides for reaching an agreement that he thought most ex-players would support.

Chances are I wont make it to 50 or 60, said Turner, now 44. I have money now to put back for my children to go to college and for a little something to be there financially.

All former NFL players are eligible to seek care, screening or compensation. The amounts they receive will be based on their age, condition and years of play.

Players lawyers said they expect the fund to cover the ex-athletes expenses for 65 years. Current players are not covered.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia announced the proposed agreement and will consider approving it at a later date.

The settlement most likely means the NFL wont have to disclose internal files about what it knew, and when, about concussion-linked brain problems. Some observers had warned that the lawsuits could cost the league $1 billion or more if they were allowed to move forward in court.

I think its more important that the players have finality, that theyre vindicated, and that as soon as the court approves the settlement they can begin to get screening, and those that are injured can get their compensation. I think thats more important than looking at some documents, said lawyer Sol Weiss of Philadelphia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf of former Atlanta Falcon Ray Easterling and a few others. Easterling later committed suicide.

In court arguments before Brody in April, the NFL asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuits and send them to arbitration under terms of the players contract. The league argued that individual teams bear the chief responsibility for health and safety under the collective bargaining agreement, along with the players union and the players themselves.