As the settlement of the 4,500-plus concussion lawsuits trudges forward, other suits may pop up. At least one has disappeared as quickly as it arose.
Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has withdraw a concussion lawsuit against the NFL. Per Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune, Sayers contends it was filed without his authorization.
“I had about one half of a concussion in all of the years that I played,” Sayed told the Tribune. “I didn’t say any of the things [lawyer John F. Winters] said in the paper.”
Winters claims Sayers authorized the filing of the lawsuit on Tuesday before changing his mind on Saturday.
“I didn’t sign anything,” Sayers said. “I talked to the attorney, but there wasn’t nothing to it.”
Sayers doesn’t need to file suit to be included in the $765 million settlement; it covers all retired players. However, Sayers needs to have “severe cognitive impairment” in order to obtain compensation. Some players without “severe cognitive impairment” may choose to continue to pursue litigation. Other players without “severe cognitive impairment” who haven’t sued may still try to do so.
Sayers isn’t one of them.