Federal judge requests changes to proposed NFL concussion settlement

Another setback for the NFL's concussion settlement with its former players.

The NFL's proposed $765 million settlement with former players suing over concussions and other health issues has hit another snag. The federal judge presiding over the case requested further changes to the settlement Monday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

U.S. District Judge Anita Brody issued new recommendations Monday regarding the current proposal. Included in Judge Brody's suggestions was concern over time spent in NFL Europe being credited to former players. The amount of time a player spent in the league affects the magnitude of the benefits allotted by the settlement. Judge Brody would also like to adjust the compensation given to those diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disorder linked with concussions. 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Junior Seau, who committed suicide in 2012, is believed to have suffered from CTE.

The league and the former players don't have much time to make changes to the settlement proposal. According to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times, they only have until Feb. 13 to address Judge Brody's recommendations.

The settlement was originally reached back in October, with the majority of plaintiffs accepting the deal. However, once it reached Judge Brody, the league was forced to remove the cap on potential benefits paid to those qualified under the settlement in order to gain preliminary approval.

Players not satisfied with the settlement have the option of opting out. Those that do can then file suit against the league individually.

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