Buccaneers, Lawrence Tynes Reach Settlement in MRSA Lawsuit

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Lawrence Tynes reached a settlement on Feb. 10 stemming from a lawsuit the former kicker filed against the team after he contracted MRSA, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Greg Auman. 

Tynes' suit, which was filed in April 2015, asserted unsanitary conditions at the team's facility resulted in him being diagnosed with MRSA. 

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Auman reported Tynes initially sued the Buccaneers for $20 million. 

News of Tynes' settlement comes nearly three years after the Buccaneers paid offensive lineman Carl Nicks $3 million as part of an injury settlement after he dealt with MRSA, according to ESPN.com's Field Yates. 

Shortly before terms of Nicks' settlement were reported by Yates, Nicks released a statement confirming he was stepping away from football due to the staph infection. 

In addition to Tynes and Nicks, former Bucs cornerback Johnathan Banks was also diagnosed with MRSA during the 2013 outbreak, according to the Boston Globe's Ben Volin.  

Citing Tynes' lawsuit, Auman reported former Buccaneers trainer Todd Toriscelli initially developed MRSA "as a complication from several knee surgeries and 'admitted to close friends' that his own infection was the source of Tynes' MRSA, having used the same hot and cold tubs and other therapy devices and equipment at the Bucs' facilities."