NFL stands behind official's statement linking football and CTE

The NFL's senior vice president for health and safety policy admitted Monday there's a link between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and football, and while the league backed him up Tuesday, it insists that admission isn't relevant to the league's concussion settlement.

Jeffrey B. Miller confirmed the connection in a roundtable organized by the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the NFL appeared to authorize it as the league's official position on CTE.

"The comments made by Jeff Miller yesterday accurately reflect the view of the NFL," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

Hours after Miller's comments, a lawyer who represents seven former players still opposing the NFL's concussion settlement sent a letter to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Steven F. Molo contended that the NFL has suddenly reversed its position from the time of the $765-million settlement, during which the league maintained there was no link between CTE and football:

The NFL's comments further signal the NFL's acceptance of Dr. McKee's conclusions regarding CTE - a stark turn from its position before the district court, which relied on the NFL's experts to dismiss the significance of the same research. The NFL's testimony also directly contradicts its position in the case. For example, the NFL argued that 'Researchers have not reliably determined which events make a person more likely to develop CTE.' And it stated that 'Speculation that repeated concussion or sub-concussive impacts cause CTE remains unproven.'

NFL attorney Paul Clement responded swiftly on behalf of his client, writing a counterargument suggesting Miller's comments were consistent with the league's previous position and pointing to a lack of definitive scientific evidence regarding the causes of CTE:

Mr. Miller's statement yesterday to the U. S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce roundtable discussion is consistent with NFL positions in court and otherwise. The NFL has previously acknowledged studies identifying a potential association between CTE and certain football players, including Dr. [Ann] McKee's work, to which the NFL has contributed funding. Conspicuously omitted from Mr. Molo's letter is any reference to either Mr. Miller's comments on the limited knowledge of the 'incidence or the prevalence' of CTE or the District Court's express finding that the scientific community indisputably acknowledges that the causes of CTE remain unknown and the subject of extensive medical and scientific research.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can only be diagnosed after a person dies. Several former players have been found to have suffered from the disease, including Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, halfback Frank Gifford, and tight end John Mackey.