NFL players diagnosed with advanced CTE after death, who also showed clear cognitive impairment in testing during their life, still didn’t meet the requirements for financial compensation under the NFL Concussion Settlement. That’s the absolutely brutal finding from a Boston University study just published this Wednesday, and if you bleed green and blue like I do, it should make your stomach churn. This isn’t just some abstract medical finding, folks. This is about the real lives of players who put everything on the line, week in and week out, for the game we all love, and whether they’ll get the support they deserve when the game takes its toll.
The Numbers Are Screaming For Change
Researchers at Boston University dropped this bomb, examining 33 former NFL players in a study they’re calling the largest to date linking cognitive testing during life with CTE confirmed after death. These weren’t just any players; these were guys confirmed to have CTE post-autopsy and who had gone through the baseline assessment program, or BAP, from the 2014 class-action concussion settlement. And the results? They’re tough to swallow. Seven of these participants had advanced Stage 3 or 4 CTE. Think about that: advanced brain disease, a devastating diagnosis. And six of those seven showed measurable cognitive impairment during their lifetime testing. You’d think that would be a clear path to getting desperately needed help, right? Nope. Every single one of those seven players, the ones with advanced CTE and clear impairment, received the absolute lowest impairment rating, Level 0, under the BAP’s system. It’s a gut punch, plain and simple, for anyone who cares about player welfare.
The Settlement’s Criteria Is Missing the Mark
Dr. Michael Alosco, co-director of clinical research at the BU CTE Center, didn’t mince words. He stated that the BAP’s diagnostic criteria “might miss cases of cognitive impairment that are objectively measurable and associated with confirmed CTE pathology.” He’s basically saying what we’re all thinking: the system isn’t working for the very people it’s supposed to protect. This isn’t some minor glitch; this has huge implications for former players who are trying to get a diagnosis and the potential compensation they need and deserve through the NFL Concussion Settlement. We watch our heroes out there every Sunday, grinding it out in stadiums across the country, from Allegiant Stadium to our own Lumen Field, giving their bodies for our entertainment. To think that the league’s own settlement might be leaving them in the lurch when they need help the most? It’s a tough pill to swallow, and it demands immediate attention.
We’re in the early stages of the NFL season, with our Hawks hitting the field and battling it out, but this study reminds us that the fight for player safety and accountability is never truly over. What do these findings mean for the thousands of former players and their families who are banking on this settlement to provide care? The integrity of the league’s commitment to its players is absolutely on the line here, and fans like us in the Emerald City are watching closely, demanding answers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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