NFL agrees revised concussion settlement with former players

After months of negotiations with player representatives, the league have agreed on a revised concussion settlement and will not impose a cap on the amounts former players can receive.

The deal comes after Judge Anita B Brody, who presided over the talks, rejected the NFL's offer to pay approximately $765 million to 18,000 retired players or - if they have passed away - their families, that have suffered from "cognitive impairment."

The NFL is still not obligated to admit fault for a former player's impairment.

However, retired players are not required to prove their illnesses are a direct result of concussions sustained during their NFL career.

With a view to reducing the risks for current and future players, the NFL will also spend $10m on education on concussion prevention.

"This agreement will give retired players and their families immediate help if they suffer from a qualifying neurocognitive illness, and provide peace of mind to those who fear they may develop a condition in the future," player representatives Christopher Seeger and Sol Weiss said.

"This settlement guarantees that these benefits will be there if needed, and does so without years of litigation that may have left many retired players without any recourse."