NFL vows to stop 'race norming' to compensate brain injuries | DW News

Published on Jun 5, 2021
In 2013, the NFL agreed to pay 865-million dollars in compensation and medical fees to former players, whose on-field concussions had caused brain injuries and cognitive disorders like dementia.
But several Black former players received nothing - despite their injuries. Turns out this is because of something called "race norming," which assumes that the average black player has a lower level of cognitive function than white players. The effect of this is that, even though the vast majority of NFL retirees are black, black players have to demonstrate a greater level of damage than white players to get the same payout - and many end up with nothing. This week, the NFL promised to stop using race norming and to review the cases of Black players who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against.