The NFL is inconsistent in many ways—player discipline, domestic violence, concussion protocols, and even enforcement of their on-field rules. Has anyone figured out what a catch is yet? The one area in which the NFL is the epitome of consistency is how they battle former players who seek to collect for disabilities resulting from their NFL careers. In both the CBA bargained disability plan and the concussion settlement, damaged players face an uphill battle to find recompense. “Delay, deny, and hope they die,” should be engraved on the cornerstone of every tax-payer subsidized NFL stadium. Such is the story of Andre Royal, as documented in a recently filed lawsuit against the NFL, the NFLPA and the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Retirement Plan.
