Report: Judge approves preliminary NFL settlement offer

A federal judge has granted preliminary approval to the National Football League's $765 million settlement offer for concussion-related injuries, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last month, the NFL removed the cap on funds in the revised concussion lawsuit settlement, allowing any former player with injuries due to head trauma to potentially collect a reward.

More than 4,000 former players had sued the NFL seeking damages for head injuries, and the NFL agreed it would settle the suit last August. Judge Anita Brody then rejected the proposal in January. Now, the almost 20,000 former players and their beneficiaries can vote on the settlement.

"We are grateful to Judge Brody for her guidance and her thoughtful analysis of the issues as reflected in the comprehensive opinion she issued today. We will work with plaintiffs’ counsel to provide notice to the class and implement the settlement terms as provided in the Court's order," NFL SVP Anastasia Danias said, via NFL.com's Albert Breer.

MMQB: New Concussion Settlement a Win-Win

But within a week of the NFL removing the cap on funds, seven former NFL players covered by the league's proposed concussion settlement filed an objection in federal court, saying attorneys on both sides have failed to justify the new agreement and that the settlement was not vetted by the players' individual attorneys.

~Scooby Axson