Appeals Court Affirms Lower Court’s Ruling Rejecting Bid for Retroactive NFL Total and Permanent Disability Benefits

By Robert J Romano, JD, LLM, St. John’s University, Senior Writer Chidi Ahanotu, a former defensive lineman who played 12 professional seasons in the NFL, upon his retirement in 2025 sought disability benefits under the League’s Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Player Retirement Plan.[32] For those unfamiliar with the this Plan, it is an ERISA governed pension and welfare benefits package created through years of collective bargaining between the NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association.