RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The NFL can’t hide from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). And the issue is compounding because ESPN’s Pat McAfee has never shied away from criticizing the league that pays his bills. Football has always come with risk, and the sport’s biggest media personality has spent years talking about brain trauma on his show. This week he took that conversation a step further.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that at least 25%of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham drew from the UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University, where more than 90% of donated brains from deceased NFL players tested positive for the disease . McAfee addressed the findings on his show and pushed the league to go further for the players who built it.
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What McAfee said about lifetime insurance
McAfee praised the NFL for expanding mental health and medical resources for former players, but he said the league needs to take the next step and provide lifetime insurance .
“The fact that there is a plethora of resources at least being presented is good for former players. Hopefully, that only continues. You said lifetime medical. It’s like, that seems like a layup for some NFL insurance partner. I don’t know how that hasn’t happened yet. That feels like a very stupid hill to die on.”
Currently, players who spend at least three seasons in the league qualify for five additional years of medical, vision and dental coverage after retirement. McAfee argued that number falls short given what the sport does to the body over time.
“Both the NFLPA and the NFL every single CBA have seemingly decided that that is not worthy of a conversation. And I know the NFL expects the NFLPA to do it. And the NFLPA is like, well, we got to worry about what our deal is. It’s like, well, NFL, if you looked out for the former players and gave lifetime insurance, I mean, that’d be a big babyface move with the former players, you know?”
NFL and NFLPA responses
The NFL issued a statement after the study’s release, saying the league continues to work to make the game safer through concussion-reduction strategies and expanded resources for players to identify and seek treatment.
The NFLPA, which helps fund CTE research at Boston University, called the study a sobering reminder that football carries real risks with lasting consequences for players and their families. The union said the findings should serve as a call to action for the entire sport.
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