Damar Hamlin’s life changed forever Monday night and while fans have rallied behind him, inundating his charity with thousands upon thousands of generous donations, it’s too early to tell if he’ll resume a normal life or if his on-field accident will leave him permanently disabled, requiring extensive assistance that might not be covered by his NFL salary. Because most contracts aren’t guaranteed, the Bills safety faces significant financial uncertainty, with the league’s available resources offering him little relief amid mounting medical expenses.
Local podcaster and radio host Garrett Bush addressed the elephant in the room during his recent appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, arguing that, when push comes to shove, the NFL will always protect its bottom line over the health and safety of its players, disposing them as callously as leftovers taking up shelf space in the kitchen fridge.
“He’s 24 years old. He got a contract for $160,000—that’s his bonus—and he earns $825,000 this year. He’s been in the league two years. That means he’s not vested. That means that if he never plays another down in his life, he doesn’t get another check from the NFL,” said Bush. “You got to play 3-4 years before you even sniff a pension. So all these heartwarming prayers and condolences don’t do anything for that boy’s mom, who has to go home, look at her son, and he might need extensive care for the rest of his life.”
Since arriving as a sixth-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Hamlin has pocketed over $1.6 million in career earnings, though with medical bills piling up, that nest egg could dry up fast. “Let’s look at the disability policy for the NFL. They moved it from $22,000 a month to $4,000 in the last collective bargaining agreement. They can deny benefits even if social security deems you to be permanently disabled,” said Bush, noting the convoluted minefield injured players are tasked with navigating. “Only 15 percent [of claims] get approved by social security. The league says that number should be lower.”
It's hard to look past the hypocrisy of America’s most profitable sport making money hand over fist, yet never being around when the bill comes, giving players the runaround by denying their disability claims, stiffing them on pensions and otherwise drowning them in needless paperwork. The NFL may say it cares about its players, but if that were true, why would they make them jump through so many hoops, sweeping concussions under the rug while continuing to downplay football’s underlying health risks out of self-preservation?
“Since the CTE settlement, only 6.5 percent of the settlement has been paid and 60 percent of the claims have a qualifying diagnosis but have not been paid. They’re also moving the pension. They got to make it to 55. He’s 24. And they moved it down to $3,000 when it was $5,600 a month. Terry Pegula owns the Sabres as well as the Buffalo Bills, and his net worth is $6.7 billion,” said Bush, lamenting the NFL’s lack of accountability, leading players astray with obscure contract clauses buried in fine print. “My question to you, NFL, is when do salaries become guaranteed? If you know these young men are going out there and they could die on that football field, I don’t give a damn what your thoughts and prayers are. Do the right thing.”
Though it couldn’t have come under worse circumstances, Monday’s tragedy was a needed reminder of football’s humanity, a dangerous game played by young men (many of them growing up in abject poverty) in pursuit of generational wealth. But will we ever be able to break the cycle, acknowledging them as people instead of commodities to be moved in and out of our fantasy lineups? Bush, for one, is tired of the way the NFL diminishes its own players, reducing them to numbers on a spreadsheet.
“This is a savage sport. Men are dying every week and you covered that up during CTE. And now you want to act like you’re the top of the food chain because you got the CPR people on the field on time? That’s the least you should do. You’re not going to pay that man’s tuition for his kids, you’re not going to pay him disability money. All you do is collect big checks and we’re going to play fantasy football,” said Bush. “These young black kids are putting [their lives] on the line. And you’re telling them they [aren’t] worth it, because you don’t want to pay for somebody who’s broken and battered and can’t take care of themselves because it costs you money.”
There’s a lot of wisdom in Bush’s words, though the change he’s advocating for isn’t a quick or easy fix, requiring the NFL to change its fundamental philosophy toward players, treating them as equals rather than pawns in a never-ending game of economic chess.
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