$30-Million NFL Donation to Aid Brain-Injury Work

The NFL announced Wednesday that it is giving $30-million to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health to support research on brain injuries, The Washington Post writes.

The donation, the largest in the league’s history, comes as the NFL grapples with controversy over concussions and long-term brain injuries suffered by players. Hundreds of former players have sued the league and individual teams for allegedly failing to warn them properly about the risks of head injuries.

The research will benefit members of the military and the public as well as football players and other athletes. Initially, the money will go toward research on mild traumatic brain injuries.

A new 10-year contract signed last year by the league and its players’ union included a $100-million commitment to medical research, with the focus on brain injuries.

“Our commitment here is to hopefully help set the standard and lead the way in research about head injuries, and we’re doing it with the leading scientists,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.