‘Emboldened’ N.F.L. Players Value Health Over Paychecks

Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

One player defied his team and had surgery on his damaged shoulder. Another blamed his club for not spotting a rare form of cancer sooner. Still another, according to media reports, disputed his team’s assertion that his concussion symptoms had abated.

The players — former Jets guard Kelechi Osemele, Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams and Cincinnati Bengals tackle Cordy Glenn — had very different ailments. But what they had in common was a willingness to question their employers over how their injuries were handled, and all of them appear to have paid a financial price.

The N.F.L. has for generations been built on the backs of players willing to sacrifice…