Mark Rypien Files Lawsuit Against NFL Over Head Injuries

As the NFL continues to try and increase the safety of the game, head injuries above all else are arguably the most devastating to a player's career and ultimately, their life.

In turn, it never ceases to surprise when a former player files a lawsuit. But then again, competing in football is an assumption of risk. Nonetheless, if only the game was safer back in the 1970s, 80s and 90s there would perhaps be less cases.

Here, we add one more to the list. According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, former Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien is the next player:

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Former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that seeks compensation and medical care from the NFL for “repeated traumatic injuries to his head” that he incurred during his playing career.

In the suit, which was filed March 23 in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Rypien — along with 126 other former professional football players — allege that the NFL was aware of the dangers and risks of “repetitive traumatic brain injuries and concussions for decades, but deliberately ignored and actively concealed” the information, court documents say.

 

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Rypien, as we can expect with reason, will not be the last player to pursue such action. That said, the continuing addition of former players suing the NFL makes for an interesting discussion about the game's safety.

Think about how different the game has changed because of multiple rule changes since past decades. What if the "powers that be" had taken proper action 10 years ago or even more?

At this juncture it appears that in addition to making football safer, the NFL is preparing to avoid future lawsuits. Now, what if some or none of the rules had never been changed?

A side effect of changing the rules allows for those such as Rypien to approach the league's former executives about safety. If anything, commissioner Roger Goodell was put in a win-lose situation.

Yes, try to make the game safer and the trickle-down effect will surely help at the college and high school level. But at the same time, it opens the door to the court system and about taking proper action against the league for not making the game safer, sooner.

However, making the game safer now will at least result in the decreased odds of players suing the league in the future.

John Rozum on Twitter.