Why It's Ridiculous That The NFL Called The $765-Million Concussion Settlement 'A Significant Amount Of Money'

The general consensus was that the league made out like bandits.

They didn't have to acknowledge liability for the brain injuries suffered by players, the $765 million was a significantly smaller sum than anticipated, and they have 20 years to pay it off.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees.

He told the AP today, "This is a significant amount of money."

It's not. $765 million is nothing to a league that makes $9.5 billion per year in revenue and rising.

Under the terms of the settlement, the league has to pay out 50% of the amount in the next three years, and the other half over the next 17 years.

Here's how that works out:

• Cost per team (2013-15): ~$3.9 million
• Cost per team (2016-2033): ~$703,00

As Deadspin pointed out last week, the NFL stands to make $180 billion in total revenue in the next 20 years, even if it completely stopped growing.

So this settlement will be, conservatively, 0.4% of total revenue during the period in which it is paid out.

Regardless of whether the players could have gotten more in the settlement, $765 million is chump change to the NFL.