Ex-Patriots Player Advances Benefits Suit, Loses Jury Trial Bid

A running back for the New England Patriots’ 2004 Super Bowl-winning team advanced part of his lawsuit seeking increased disability benefits from the National Football League’s retirement plan, but he won’t be able to make his case before a jury, according to a ruling by a federal judge in Dallas.

Michael Cloud—who played for the Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants over a seven-season career—can move forward with claims accusing the NFL plan of denying him a full and fair review of his disability benefit claim, Judge Karen Gren Scholer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern ...