Former football players are suing the National Football League (NFL) because of head injuries they sustained while playing in the early years of football. Several have experienced symptoms of brain disorders at early ages caused by concussions. The players claim that the NFL was negligent in terms of what it knew of the symptoms, how they dealt with concussions and did not deal with them, especially for those players who were the pioneers of the game and were not as heavily compensated as those now. Consequently, those who sustained the most damage are now not as able to provide for themselves and their families.
Many players who played in decades past have no pension plan, medical coverage and were paid very little, especially when compared to players today. The NFL’s motto is past, present and future – the NFL is now being asked to take care of those in the past.