The NFL made a significant announcement on Wednesday to abolish the controversial “race-norming” practice. This policy unfairly assumed that black players had lower cognitive abilities compared to white players before sustaining brain injuries, affecting the issuance of settlements.
The eligibility criteria for claimants were established in the 1990s to improve access to care for former NFL players dealing with mental issues like dementia linked to repeated concussions. These measures aimed to address lawsuits alleging that the NFL concealed knowledge of the connection between concussions and long-term brain damage. However, the assumptions in the policy disproportionately affected black players and hindered their ability to qualify for compensation.
Despite facing their civil rights lawsuit dismissal by the Philadelphia federal court, two black players persisted in challenging the policy. Recently, families of NFL athletes, including former Washington running back Ken Jenkins and his spouse, presented 50,000 signatures to the courthouse in protest.
In response to the concerns raised, Judge Anita B Brody requested a detailed report on the matter, with many former black players hoping for transparency on the distribution of the nearly $800 million settlements across racial groups. The NFL has assembled a new team of neuropsychologists, which includes two female and three black doctors, to develop a fairer testing procedure.
