NFL Plan Beats Disability Pay Appeal by Former Buccaneers Player

A former defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday failed to convince the Eleventh Circuit to revive his lawsuit seeking higher disability benefits from the NFL retirement plan.

Chidi Ahanotu’s lawsuit is “untimely by a considerable margin,” because the NFL plan includes a 42-month deadline for filing suit to challenge a denial of benefits, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit said. The 2006 letter awarding Ahanotu benefits in an amount he says was too low started the clock running on his ability to file suit, but he waited more than 17 years to bring ...