There is a widespread discussion in the world of sports about how much organizations should support their players. Players take risks to push the boundaries of their sports. However, it is necessary that they receive the proper help from governing organizations too. This discourse found its place on Mike Tyson’s podcast. Joining him was an NFL star, Antonio Brown. 

Marred with controversies, the NFL star led a long career in football starting from 2010 to 2021. A revered player in his league, Brown always made it to the headlines either for his stellar performances or his clashes within his own team. However, the NFL took a controversial decision to suspend him after he supposedly misrepresented his COVID-19 status. In his latest conversation on the ‘HotBoxin with Mike Tyson‘ podcast, he spoke in detail about how players need to be compensated if they incur injuries through the sport.

Antonio Brown calls for fair compensation for NFL players

In 2015, Will Smith’s movie, ‘Concussion’, caused an uproar in the NFL realm. In the movie, a forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, played by the actor, embarks on a mission to raise awareness about the injuries sustained by NFL players, which he learns after conducting an autopsy on a former player. In the process, he identifies neurological deterioration, similar to Alzheimer’s. The disorder is frequently diagnosed in athletes who experience head injuries on the field.

After the movie was released, more players decided to speak out about the issue. Some folks, however, called for internally fixing the system that unfairly treats players who sustain such injuries. There has been a lot of discussion about the issue, however, nothing concrete has been put into place. AB explained how important it is for players to have disability benefits from the NFL. He said, “the thing is, people say you’re crazy, but the NFL should pay players disability. You gotta follow up on disability when you’re done playing. Because they’ll tell you to go to their doctors and go with your physical, and then they’ll deny it. So you’ve got to be able to get the disability.”

The NFL fame added that a player devotes a huge chunk of their life to the sport. As a result, they should be eligible for certain benefits after having suffered an injury while participating in the sport. He said, ” If you’re a three-year more vested player, they should pay you for the rest of your life. You see how they create these narratives, like yo, you crazy, then they don’t pay you.” He went on, “You gotta go after this. It’s always a loophole, but you know they make money off saying what I am.” Recently, things reached a head when some players decided to sue the NFL.

Footballers sue the NFL for denying disability benefits

A group of former and current players like Jason Alford, Daniel Loper, Willis McGahee, Michael McKenzie, and Jamize Olawale, amongst others, recently filed a lawsuit against the NFL. They outlined that the NFL has shown repeated patterns of denying disability for players with both physical and mental injuries, despite evidence provided by medical teams.

In response, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell denied it being as big a problem as is being pointed out. The lawsuit also alleges that the denial rate for such claims stands at 90%. It also said that the organization paid doctors to undermine the applicants’ complaints.

Also Read: “They Want to Make More Money Off of You”: Mike Tyson Gives Grim Reality Check Before Antonio Brown Opens Up About How NFL Wants to Control Their Players

Players are increasingly raising their voices to avail disability benefits for the injuries they’ve sustained on the field. Amidst these developments, it is necessary for sports bodies to rethink the approaches they have taken in treating their players. What do you think about the claims made by AB about the NFL? Let us know in the comments section below.

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