As the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed on the preliminary agreement that eventually will become a full-blown settlement of the lawsuit arising from the relocation of the Rams, we currently don’t know the terms.
We inevitably will.
Per a league source, the NFL is moving forward with the assumption that the settlement number and the details of the deal will be made public.
The public nature of the plaintiffs ensures that reality. Although many civil settlements contain a confidentiality provision, the relevant freedom of information legislation prevents public bodies from making the money they receive or pay in lawsuits a secret.
The people who pay significant money to resolve litigation typically like to keep it quiet, so as not to encourage others to think that there’s a payday to be enjoyed by getting in line with a lawsuit. In some cases, such as this one, it’s just not practical.
That said, the NFL may be able to keep secret whether and to what extent Rams owner Stan Kroenke has foisted partial responsibility onto his partners. Recently, however, someone has been singing to the media about the in-fighting among the oligarchs, arising from the St. Louis litigation. It’s likely inevitable that the full details of the division, if any, among the teams will be disclosed.