The NFL generated more than $10 billion a year through much of the 2010s, and franchise values soared across the league. At the same time, it faced major lawsuits involving player safety, hiring discrimination, team relocations, and labor disputes. Several of these cases led to costly settlements and forced rule changes. Over the past decade, legal battles have shaped league policy almost as much as what happens on the field.
NFL Concussion Settlement
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Brain injuries forced the NFL into one of the largest settlements in sports history. The league finalized a concussion settlement in 2016, creating lifetime compensation for retired players. More than 3,000 players or families filed claims linked to dementia or Parkinson's disease. Approved payouts passed $827 million by early 2022. The agreement remains uncapped under federal court supervision today.
Race Norming Concussion Lawsuit
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Testing formulas once reduced compensation access for Black players seeking concussion settlement payouts. The NFL began using race-normed scoring adjustments during cognitive evaluations in 2013. Former players sued, claiming racial bias in medical calculations. The league removed race norming in October 2021. Hundreds of retired players had the chance to retest their cognitive results and qualify for larger settlement awards again.
Brian Flores Hiring Discrimination Lawsuit
Credit: Youtube
A text message mistake helped spark one of the most explosive employment lawsuits in league history. Brian Flores sued the NFL in February 2022, alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices. Data showed NFL rosters were over 70% Black while head coaches remained mostly White. The lawsuit challenges how teams conduct interviews under diversity-hiring rules across the league today.
St. Louis Rams Relocation Lawsuit
Credit: Youtube
Losing the team cost St. Louis nearly a billion dollars and triggered years of courtroom fights. The NFL paid $790 million in 2021 to settle relocation claims stemming from the Rams' 2016 move. The settlement prevented a public trial that could have exposed internal league emails and financial projections documents, as city officials argued that league relocation policies required honest negotiations.
Advertisement
Rams Fan Relocation Lawsuit
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Fans rarely sue teams successfully, but St. Louis ticket holders forced a multi-million dollar payout. The Rams agreed to a $25 million settlement in January 2020 tied to relocation claims. Plaintiffs said team leadership suggested the franchise would stay locally. Lawsuit filings showed fans spent money on tickets and merchandise based on those public statements from ownership interviews years earlier.
NFL Painkiller Distribution Lawsuit
Credit: Canva
Painkiller distribution inside locker rooms became a legal flashpoint when retired players sued the NFL. The 2014 class action claimed teams ignored medical histories when providing medications. Players alleged addiction risk and organ damage tied to drug use. A federal judge dismissed the case in December 2021, citing statute of limitations rules tied to retirement timelines for former professional athletes.
Colin Kaepernick Collusion Grievance
Credit: Youtube
A starting quarterback losing his career created one of the most controversial grievances in modern sports. Colin Kaepernick filed a collusion grievance in 2017, claiming teams worked together to avoid signing him. The NFL reached a confidential settlement in 2019. The whole fiasco followed his 2016 protests during the national anthem, tied to police brutality debates across the United States, publicly.
Deflategate Legal Battle
Credit: Youtube
This case started as a dispute over underinflated footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship Game, and turned into a major legal fight over league authority. The NFL suspended Tom Brady for four games, citing violations of equipment rules. Brady appealed the decision in federal court, arguing the league overstepped its power. After nearly two seasons of legal back-and-forth, a federal appeals court reinstated the suspension in 2016, reinforcing the commissioner's disciplinary authority under the collective bargaining agreement.
Saints No Call Fan Lawsuits
Credit: Youtube
A missed penalty changed a playoff game and triggered lawsuits from furious fans. Saints supporters sued after a missed pass interference call during the 2019 NFC Championship Game. Courts dismissed most lawsuits because officiating decisions fall under league authority. The controversy pushed the NFL to temporarily expand replay review rules to include pass interference challenges for coaches and game officials.
