Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon told listeners "he's feeling better lately and no longer has suicidal thoughts."
McMahon's comments came one day after a federal court judge announced the NFL had reached a $765,000 settlement with more than 4,500 former players and their families over concussion related injuries suffered by players over the last several decades.
McMahon, who played 15 NFL seasons, struggles with dementia and is among former players slated to get a payout from the funds set aside by league officials as part of the agreement.
"My head is not full of fluid,"McMahon told the show. "I can actually get up in the morning and walk down the hall and feel good. I still have dementia, but I don't have the sharp pains. I don't have the thoughts of killing myself."
As stipulated in the settlement, $675 million of the funds will be allocated to compensate former players and families of deceased players who have suffered cognitive injuries of some sort, including players such as Junior Seau and Ray Easterling, both of whom were found to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and later committed suicide. Other money will be used for baseline medical exams, the cost of which will be capped at $75 million, while funding for research and education will be limited to $10 million.
CBS News reports individual awards will be capped at $5 million for men who developed ALS "Lou Gehrig;s disease) Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or another severe cognitive condition, $4 million for those diagnosed with CTE after their deaths; and $3 million for players with dementia.
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