NFL Settles with 6 Insurance Companies over Concussion Lawsuit Expenses

The NFL reached a settlement with six insurance companies that had sued the league over expenses stemming from the $1 billion concussion settlement, SportsBusiness Daily's Daniel Kaplan reported Monday.

Kaplan noted, however, that "dozens" of insurers are still pursuing legal action against the NFL.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted the NFL has a strong incentive to reach settlements with insurance companies. Should the league go to trial with one or more insurance companies, it would have to divulge information not publicly known during the discovery period.

"The last thing the league wants is for media, fans, and potentially meddling politicians to see memos, documents, and transcripts demonstrating (possibly) the lengths to which the league went to fend off a potential existential threat before 2009, when the league had no choice but to deal with the problem," Florio wrote.

The New York Times' Ken Belson reported in May 2016 roughly 30 insurance companies had started seeking legal recourse against the NFL about paying for the concussion settlement.

The insurers contended the NFL failed to properly inform players about the long-term consequences of concussions or helped to cover them up. Belson wrote, however, that the league settled with former players before reaching the discovery phase, so insurers can't point to past evidence of fraud by the NFL.

Belson also noted insurers would be amenable to a settlement down the road because it would allow them to reduce legal costs and potentially enable them to continue an amicable relationship with the NFL.