Account
Sharrif Floyd Sues Dr. James Andrews over Knee Surgery
November 6, 2018
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd appeared on his way to a promising career after he was the No. 23 pick of the 2013 draft, but he hasn't played since 2016 because of health issues and is suing Dr. James Andrews as a result.
According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, Floyd's lawyer, Brad Sohn, said his client will file a $180 million lawsuit against Andrews, the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic Surgery and others on Tuesday.
The suit says Floyd underwent an extensive surgical procedure even though he was told he was set for minor arthroscopic knee surgery that would sideline him for at most a month. It says the former Viking was negligently given a pain blocker and suffered permanent nerve and muscle damage in his leg.
Sohn and Floyd arrived at the $180 million figure based on what they estimated he would have earned throughout an extensive NFL career.
"We believe that if Sharrif had not been the victim of the medical negligence we allege, he would've been paid commensurate with some of the top players at his position, if not some of the top defensive players in football," Sohn said, per Breer.
Floyd played just one game during the 2016 campaign before the surgery, but he appeared in 43 of 48 in his first three seasons. He tallied 95 combined tackles, 9.5 sacks and a forced fumble in those contests, helping lead the Vikings to an 11-5 record and playoff appearance in 2015.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reported in February that a grievance was filed in September 2017 on Floyd's behalf in an effort to get him the full $6.757 million salary he was owed for the 2017 campaign. He spent the season on the non-football injury list and received just $2 million in base salary, but the grievance challenged the notion his knee injury should have even been considered non-football.
Breer noted, "It's believed that the team and Floyd have engaged in settlement talks on the grievance."