Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders has suggested that half the players who have sued the NFL for concussions are making a money grab. Sanders is now making what some would call a money grab.
The Los Angeles Times has obtained documents relating to the workers’ compensation claim made by Sanders in California. The paperwork includes cognitive impairment among a total collection of 13 different injuries that has left him, in the opinion of four doctors, 86 percent impaired.
“The game is a safe game, the equipment is better,” Sanders has said. “I don’t buy all these guys coming back with these concussions. I’m not buying all that. Half these guys are trying to make money off the deal. That’s real talk. That’s really how it is. I wish they’d be honest and tell the truth because it’s keeping kids away from our game.”
Sanders didn’t file a concussion lawsuit, and now he won’t have to do so in order to obtain a chunk of the $675 million concussion compensation fund. If he can persuade the independent doctors that Deion has a severe cognitive impairment, he’ll be eligible for payment. It’s another reason why some of the players who filed suit against the league will resent the men who didn’t join in the effort, but who will now be able to join in the recovery.
Meanwhile, Sanders will keep trying to persuade the powers-that-be in California that he deserves compensation for head trauma and 12 other injuries.