The NFL vowed on Wednesday to halt a practice of using different cognitive baselines for Black and non-Black players when evaluating brain injury claims.
The practice known as "race norming" assumes a lower cognitive baseline for Black players and has been applied as the league considers claims in its $1 billion concussion settlement. Former NFL players Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry filed a lawsuit in August alleging that the lower baselines led to their claims being denied.
Retired players: 'Race norming' cost them settlements
The practice of "race norming" makes it harder for Black players to show a cognitive deficit in claims of dementia attributed to football-related concussions.