Time of essence in concussion deal

$ 765 million may not seem like much for NFL, but many ex- players can’t endure drawn- out case.

That’s all?

Not to suggest $ 765 million is chump change, but in the Monopoly money world of pro football, the proposed settlement of the concussion suit brought by former players against the NFL is not enough. The NFL wins again. A PR nightmare has been swept away just before the kickoff of another glorious football campaign complete with its fantasy leagues and point spreads. Just $ 765 million? That’s less than half of the $ 1.9 billion the NFL receives annually from ESPN for the rights to Monday Night

Football.

When considering the green the NFL generates — nearly $ 10 billion in 2012 — the payout split amounting to about $ 24 million per franchise seems like a drop in the bucket.

Even better for the league, files that could have been exposed during discovery that might have proved the NFL knew more about long- term consequences of head injuries are sealed shut — for $ 765 million, payable over 20 years.

Kevin Mawae, the former NFL Players Association president, tweeted the NFL’s projected revenue for 2025 is $ 27 billion.

Think of the battered and broken former NFL players, including the more than 4,500 who signed up for one or another of the consolidated lawsuits, and put a price on that.

Tally up the memory loss, the depression, the susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, the links to ALS ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and CTE ( chronic traumatic encephalopathy) — which plaintiffs might argue could be traced to playing pro football — and the NFL would surely need its shield. But think again. This was going to be an incredibly difficult case to prove in court.

Mr. Former Linebacker: Did your first concussion occur in high school?

Mr. Ex- Quarterback: How many times was your bell rung in college?