Last week, former NFL running back Michael Pittman talked in compelling fashion about the effects of his concussions during an appearance on WDAE radio. Pittman said that, if he had known about the long-term impact of concussions, he may have retired after absorbing the first two or three of the seven or eight he sustained at the NFL level.
Pittman also said that he had yet to sue the NFL, but that he may.
He has.
Via NFLConcussionLitigation.com, Pittman is one of 41 plaintiffs in a new suit filed in Los Angeles. The lead plaintiff in the case is former Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp, who previously had been named as a plaintiff in a different action.
A separate suit filed in Los Angeles names 58 plaintiffs, include the estate of Eagles safety Andre Waters, Hall of Famer Jim Marshall, and former Panthers tight end Wesley Walls.
The total number of lawsuits has grown to 86, with more than 2,200 former players seeking compensation.
The primary challenge for players from Kapp’s and Marshall’s era (and previously) will be to prove that anyone knew anything about the long-term effects of concussions -- other than the obvious reality that it’s not good to repeatedly bang your head into things, helmet or otherwise.