Aug 12, 2022 - Sports

More Black NFL former players win dementia cases after rescored tests

Noah Garfinkel

NFL HQ — NFL offices in Inglewood, Calif. Photo: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Hundreds of former Black players whose dementia tests were rescored to eliminate racial bias now qualify for awards as part of the league's $1 billion concussion settlement, AP reports.

Why it matters: The newly approved payouts are a victory for NFL families in the decade-long legal saga over concussions, per AP.

Catch up quick: The NFL's race-adjusted system assumed Black people have lower baseline cognitive skills than white people, meaning that Black players must show a larger cognitive decline to qualify for a settlement, Axios' Jeff Tracy reports.

Tests were rescored after former Washington running back Ken Jenkins and his wife petitioned the federal judge overseeing the settlement to rescore the tests and make the changes.

Details: Of the 646 Black men whose tests were rescored, about half will qualify for dementia awards, per AP.

61 of those men are classified with early to moderate dementia and will receive awards topping $600,000. Around 250 more have milder dementia and will get awards up to $35,000.
The NFL did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment.

What they're saying: "Now we’re really focused on getting as many players who deserve compensation to be compensated," Jenkins told AP.

Go deeper: Fighting racial bias in NFL brain injury payouts

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More Black NFL former players win dementia cases after rescored tests

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