A group of former NFL players—including Super Bowl champions Jim McMahon and Richard Dent—filed a lawsuit today on behalf of roughly 500 former NFL players who allege that the league pressed them with painkillers and other narcotics without proper prescription or warning. Basically, these players are saying that the league gave them drugs illegally in an effort to get them back out onto the field quicker, thus putting the NFL's bottom line ahead of player safety. It's quite a claim and could potentially turn into a nightmare for the league.
Former Chicago Bears offensive tackle Keith Van Horne goes as far as to claim that he played an entire season on a broken leg without knowing and was "fed a constant diet of pills to deal with the pain." Yikes. The players are seeking the creation of a program to prevent addiction, which they want funded by the league, as well as financial compensation.
First head injuries, now this. We can't wait to hear the NFL's response.
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[via The Big Lead]
