0 NFL to Settle Lawsuit Over Rams’ Departure for $790 Million
NFL to Settle Lawsuit Over Rams’ Departure for $790 Million
A preliminary settlement agreement between the league and former Los Angeles Rams quarterback’s Donald III Elliott has been reached, according to Bloomberg. The initial payment will be paid by the Rams, and the remaining balance will be covered by the NFL, the settlement terms of which were not disclosed.
On December 1, Donald, 29, who has been filing lawsuits against the league and the Rams, submitted a $1 billion claim against the league for the results of a legal battle with the Rams and league, according to court documents. The initial amount his attorneys requested for his role in obtaining release rights for the controversial trade between the Rams and the Chicago Bears is more than the $341 million Rams had been asking for.
The former Rams quarterback was eventually traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played for a short time before a knee injury sidelined him. He retired after no other offers were received. Donald originally sued the Rams and league after a grand jury indicted him for assaulting two law enforcement officers during a 2016 arrest in Florida. He had been released by the Rams and indefinitely suspended by the NFL during his time in Florida.
Donald’s settlement agreement marks a setback in his efforts to receive all his legal fees and damages from the league, but an early settlement is reportedly a more conciliatory gesture than a counterclaim. The NFL owners voted to approve the settlement during a meeting on Monday.
President Donald Trump has attempted to distance himself from both Donald and the Rams, and he said that he is looking for another team to move to Los Angeles. Trump had reportedly lobbied against the move of the Rams during the draft, and in addition to the league agreeing to pay the Rams’ fine, the National Football League also is expected to pay millions of dollars to a charity that Donald has previously supported.
Before starting a long-standing and successful career in the NFL, Donald was a New Orleans Saints defensive lineman. After Rams drafted him to play for the team, he sued the Rams and team for unfair trade practices for revoking his release, pending a police investigation. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court in August 2016.
The NFL Players Association has issued a statement, indicating that Donald’s allegations of rights violations are “based on unsubstantiated, speculative and false claims,” the statement from the NFLPA stated. “We are grateful for this resolution of Mr. Elliott’s claims against the NFL and the Rams and pleased that this litigation has concluded,” the statement stated.
“In summary,” the NFLPA statement continued, “The parties have reached a settlement in which the NFL will pay Mr. Elliott $710 million.”
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