Judge orders players and NFL to refine concussion agreement

It's back to the negotiating table for the NFL and thousands of its former players suing the league over concussion-related health problems.

U.S. District Judge Anita Brody, who is overseeing settlement efforts on behalf of the league's more than 20,000 potentially eligible retirees, has asked for further revisions to a deal that could pay out as much as $1 billion over 65 years. The move came seven months after she granted preliminary approval to the plan.

In an order filed Monday, Brody ordered both sides to attempt to amend their settlement proposal to widen eligibility for some former players and their families. She also sought to ensure the plan would cover neurological testing for all registered retirees should the $10 million the deal sets aside for such tests run out.

The parties were ordered to report back to the court on the progress of their negotiations by Feb. 13. Both sides said Monday they felt confident they could adequately address Brody's concerns.

"We will work with the National Football League to promptly address the issues raised in Judge Brody's order," said Christopher Seeger, colead counsel for the retirees.

This is the second time Brody has publicly called for negotiators to change the proposal. Last year, she rejected an earlier draft, prompting the NFL to remove a $765 million cap on the settlement.

Under the terms of the current plan, retired players would be compensated on a sliding scale based on age, the number of seasons played, and whether post-career injuries might have contributed to their diagnoses.

Maximum awards of $5 million would go to players under 45 who played five or more seasons in the NFL and require extensive treatment over their lifetimes for conditions such as Parkinson's disease or Lou Gehrig's disease. Payouts of up to $4 million would go to families of deceased players who were diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), the degenerative brain disorder that has been linked to repeated concussions and the high-profile suicides of former players such as San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau.

On her wish list Monday, Brody pressed negotiators to cover deceased retirees who were more recently diagnosed with C.T.E. The deal would currently offer payouts to those diagnosed before a July 7, 2014, cutoff date. Brody urged that date be extended through the date of the settlement's final approval.

She also asked that the deal grant some credit for time players may have spent playing in NFL-affiliated leagues abroad.