Dan Marino, 14 Other Former Players File Lawsuit Against NFL Over Concussions
Most people are familiar with Dan Marino as the Miami Dolphins quarterback who played for the team for 17 seasons. Marino's statistics rank among the very best of all time, with more than 60,000 career passing yards and 420 touchdowns.
But Marino is in the news for a different reason lately. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback is filing a concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL along with 14 other former players. It's good to see that Marino is fighting for what he believes in, but there a few questions here that don't yet add up.
Marino said last year, "When I went out there to play, I knew there was a chance I could get a concussion." Football is a high contact sport, which everyone is aware of. There's no secret that when playing football you have a greater chance at getting injured compared to baseball and basketball. Marino made that comment to ESPN's Ed Werder. So what changed from a year ago?
Here's where things get a little sketchy.
Marino followed his excellent playing career by becoming a football commentator with CBS. For 11 long years (2002-2013), Marino did a great job breaking down games, but this year it was announced that CBS was going in a different direction and Marino would no longer be part of the show. Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe was also relieved. Marino is also currently talking to the Dolphins front office about getting a job with his former team.
Would Marino be suing the NFL if he still had a job with CBS?
It's possible that Marino could be financially compensated and even fully win the lawsuit, however some questions still remain. The document filed to the NFL doesn't list any of Marino's injuries. Marino played 17 seasons in the NFL. He was one of the most durable quarterbacks in NFL history and once even played 99 consecutive games. Marino was one of the healthiest quarterbacks to play in this league and never complained of injuries before.
Players suing their former league is at an all-time high. With lawsuits so high also comes rule changes. Fans watching games have to endure such penalties like the infamous "hands to the face" and many other penalties. The league continues to make these in game changes because they know lawsuits will be coming in the future.
Hopefully, Marino can get a position back in broadcasting or with the Dolphins in the future.
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