Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to $1 Billion NFL Concussion Settlement, Payments to Begin in 2017

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for thousands of retired NFL players to get paid.

If you recall, the NFL has been in a five-year battle against several former ballers, who accused the league of hiding the dangers of head trauma, reports state. Most of whom are  suffering from Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other conditions, as a result of America’s favorite sport.

The Supreme Court allowed the league to settle the concussion-related lawsuits with an agreement upwards of $1 billion, covering nearly every former baller for the next 65 years, the NY Times reports. Apparently, in light of the settlement, the court denied a challenge to the settlement, allowing the payments to begin sooner than later.

Each former baller who has been diagnosed with certain neurological disorders, are set to receive payments of up to $5 million. However, according to reports, the settlement does not address, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, most commonly known as CTE, a condition linked to concussions, reports state. As a result, a few retired players and the families of a few ballers challenged the agreement, as it did not account for the condition that caused several former players to commit suicide. The small group argued that the deal favored currently injured retirees and left out several, who have yet to be diagnosed. However, the court rejected the appeal.

“This settlement will leave most NFL players on the sidelines, even those most affected by the long-term effects of concussions. Under the terms of the deal, many players diagnosed with CTE will get nothing,” a lawyer representing the group of objectors.

On the other hand, the lawyer representing the retired players, who will applaud the settlement, released a statement as well.

“This decision means that, finally, retired NFL players will receive much-needed care and support for the serious neurocognitive injuries they are facing,” Christopher Seeger said. “These courageous men and their families, who in the face of great adversity took on the NFL, have made history.”

The players will reportedly be notified about the next steps in the process. Compensation is set to begin in the spring of 2017, reports state.