The NFL has a major problem on its hands.
Aaron Hernandez’s lawyer, Jose Baez, announced Thursday that the New England Patriots tight end had “severe” CTE at the time of his suicide in April. Baez now is suing the Patriots and the NFL on behalf of Hernandez’s daughter’s estate.
Concussions already were a hot topic in football, with several former players experiencing complications from head trauma sustained during play. The Hernandez news only will fuel that fire, especially since he played in his final NFL game during the 2012 season at age 23 yet suffered from Stage 3 CTE (out of 4, the most severe form), according to Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University’s CTE Center.
This could be problematic for everyone involved with the NFL, according to Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann, who explains why in the video below.
Hernandez, who was 27 at the time of his shocking death, was found hanged in his cell at a state maximum security prison in Shirley, Mass. He was serving a life prison sentence after being convicted in 2015 of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.
Thumbnail photo via Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe
