Do NFL players get paid when they are injured? Who pays for the players’ medical bills?
As is the case in any sport - though it’s probably higher - NFL players face the risk of injury every time they take the field. The question is, ‘Who pays?’
It was last season, and it was aa typical second-down run on a zone-read option play. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance gained two yards before being hit by Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton and went down awkwardly. When he tried to stand up after the play, it became immediately apparent that he was in trouble. Cameras caught the unnatural angle that his right foot was turned and everyone knew that his season was done.
Professional football is a high-risk sport, and players get injured, sometimes quite seriously, whenever they play. NFL players get paid handsomely, but in a country where medical treatment is a private affair, who is on the hook for the medical bills? What happens to their salaries when they are sidelined? Players are the biggest assets of any football team, but they are sometimes considered disposable and are dropped if they have one too many injuries. Missing too much playing time is a quick way to permanently lose one’s spot on the team.
When a player breaks a bone, gets carted off the field, or is checked for possible concussions, the reader will be glad to know that they are afforded some measure of protection regarding medical bills and compensation when they are unable to play.
The NFLPA’s role
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is the front line in the battle to secure protections offered to injured players. Being part of the players’ union ensures that a player is covered by Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), giving them some medical rights.
When a player gets injured, he is examined by the club doctor, who determines whether he is physically able to play football or not. The CBA also ensures that he has the right to seek a second opinion, and that the club will pay for this. If an operation is needed, he can choose the surgeon for the procedure after consulting with the club physician. The CBA makes certain the club pays for all medical bills.
The contract is powerful but what about the salary?
Although the CBA affords players some security, it is also vitally important for the players to protect themselves through their individual contracts that they sign with the team. The NFL is a business run by extremely wealthy people, and the players must ensure they have legal rights when they suffer injury. The organization will view them as less profitable or non-performing assets, and may eventually discard them.
Players can have a guarantee clause in their contract which will assure them of receiving a certain amount of money when they are hurt. This protection will apply to them if they suffer “football-related injuries”. The CBA makes sure that the club is obliged to pay the players while in rehab for their injury, and provide salary continuation for the year in which the injury was sustained.
The amount of money a player receives while injured or recovering from an injury depends on what has been agreed upon in their individual contract.
If the players are injured while exercising at a facility outside of team supervision, this will be considered as falling under “non-football injuries”, and as such will not benefit from the protection given by the NFLPA. With non-football injuries, it is left to the discretion of the team as to whether the player is to be paid.