They helped build the NFL. Now some former players are fighting just to get the care, benefits and answers they believe they were promised.

Nearly a decade into the NFL concussion settlement, members of the NFL Player Advocacy Committee say retired players and their families are still navigating delays, denials, medical reviews, legal complexity and a system many struggle to understand.

So who fights for the players when they can no longer fight for themselves?

That last sentence is especially important because Roxanne describes wives becoming advocates after seeing players with brain injuries who could no longer effectively advocate for themselves.

Former NFL players spent years putting their bodies—and their brains—on the line for the game.

But what happens after football ends?

In this episode of The HeadRush Podcast, Paul Frase and Corey Berry sit down with members of the NFL Player Advocacy Committee (PAC)—Roxanne McCrae, Ricky Ray and former NFL offensive lineman and coach Irv Eatman—for an unfiltered conversation about the NFL concussion settlement and the former players and families still trying to navigate it.

The PAC was created to advocate for fairness, transparency and accountability while helping former players understand a process its members describe as difficult, confusing and inconsistent. The conversation explores a settlement involving roughly 20,000 former players and the obstacles that can stand between a player, a diagnosis and compensation.

Paul, Corey and the panel discuss:

• Why former players need independent advocacy
• The complexity of the NFL concussion settlement
• Delays, denials, appeals and medical evaluations
• Parkinson’s, ALS, TBI and repeated head impacts
• The enormous burden placed on wives, caregivers and families
• Why some players simply give up fighting
• What the PAC believes needs to change
• What today’s players can learn from the generations who came before them

At one point, the panel states that approximately 20,000 former players registered for the settlement while only about 10% had received compensation, illustrating the scale of the challenge they believe remains.

This isn't simply a conversation about football.

It's about what happens after the cheering stops—and who stands beside the people who helped build the game.

Follow The HeadRush Podcast and share this episode. The person who needs this information may be a former player, teammate, spouse, caregiver or family member who doesn't know where to turn.

Proudly Supported By

Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation — raising awareness of repetitive head impacts and CTE and helping families better understand the risks associated with brain trauma.

Millennium Health Centers — advancing approaches to brain health and neurological wellness through the Millennium Protocol.

Millennium Health Store

Paradise Behavioral Health — Brain Well Program

MC Wellness — Cristal Clark, MA, LPC-S

Ambio Life Sciences — exploring innovative approaches for individuals living with neurological and neurodegenerative challenges. Ambio Life Sciences is also featured during this episode.

Vielight, Inc. — advancing photobiomodulation technology for brain wellness.
Use discount code HEADRUSHVL when purchasing through Vielight.

PROGRAM NOTE: This episode was recorded before Corey Berry's departure from The HeadRush Podcast.