NFL Concussion Problem

The issue isn't that these players didn't know there was a physical risk associated with a physical game --

The issue is that for years the NFL refuted scientific research that linked football collisions to head injuries and the development of brain diseases and disorders. The league brought in their own "experts" to flood the research with contrary findings, which in turn, set back the implementation of safer practices for many years.

The league also embraced and exploited the violence of the sport. They marketed videos of "bone crushing" hits and knockout shots. They turned a blind eye to ESPN segements like "jacked up" and allowed a culture of reckless play to continue, unchecked for many years. They had some power to stop it or denounce the violence and instead they chose to profit form it.

The league has also gone to great lengths to reject assistance requests from NFL Alumni suffering from football related injuries. This isn't directly releated to the concussion lawsuits, but it highlights the disconnect the former players feel the NFL has for them and in some way can explain why so many former players are trying to get something from the league through lawsuits.

The players do have a responsibility, but the league also has a responsibility to provide as safe a work environment as possible. That is difficult in a full-contact sport, but it certainly doesn't help matters when the league resisted safety measures that were available.