Brain injuries, race and denial in the NFL

PodcastPodcast, The Take

The NFL is a multibillion-dollar industry. But is it doing enough to protect players after the game is over?

The National Football League is the richest professional sports league in the world, but it has been accused of leaving its Black players behind. For years, the NFL fought claims from its own players that the sport could cause long-term brain damage, including a disease known as CTE. The league has since paid a settlement out to players, but it has also been accused of using race-based tests to deny Black players compensation. As the sport continues to gain larger audiences worldwide through mega-events like the Superbowl, what is the NFL doing to protect and care for its players?

In this episode: 

• Isaac Solotaroff (@Isaac_Solotarof), producer of the Al Jazeera Fault Lines documentary Bloodsport

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and Ney Alvarez with our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Chloe K Li and Ashish Malhotra fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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