Maryland Court Finds Commanders Player Injured After Three Days on Team Was Covered Employee

By Kate Ragusa On July 15, 2026, the Appellate Court of Maryland affirmed a circuit court ruling that Curtis Brooks, a professional football player employed by Pro-Football, LLC, under contract with the Washington Commanders, was a “covered employee” under Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The ruling addressed whether Brooks qualified as a covered employee in Maryland despite suffering his injury during a practice in Virginia only three days after signing with the Commanders, and be