Report: Most retired NFL players will accept concussion settlement

Opposition to the NFL's proposed settlement of concussion claims appears to have waned, as ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reports most retired players intend to accept the deal.

Players have until Tuesday to opt out of the proposed plan, which will pay upwards of $1 million to retirees who develop severe neurological problems such as Parkinson's disease.

Attorneys told "Outside the Lines" that out of the 18,000 former players eligible for the settlement, they expect no more than a few hundred to opt out and continue their fight against the NFL. 

Chris Seeger, the lead negotiator for the plaintiffs, said the low number of opt-outs "signals widespread acceptance" of the settlement.

"I'm not saying this is a perfect deal, and that guys are thrilled and running toward it, but it does indicate acceptance of the deal," he said. 

Many of the lawyers and players acknowledged that by opting out, they would not only face an uphill legal battle against the NFL, but could wind up collecting nothing.

"It's just a terrible situation," Jason Luckasevic, a Pittsburgh-based attorney who filed the first concussion case against the NFL in 2011, told ESPN. "This deal is not anywhere near what it should have been."

Of the approximately 500 players he represents, Luckasevic predicted only "about two dozen" would opt out, including Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Joe DeLamielleure. 

Attorneys Tom Girardi and Michael Hausfeld, who represent a combined 1,500 players, also expect the majority of their clients to accept the deal.

Dan Girard, a San Francisco-based attorney who previously opposed the settlement, predicted "zero" of his 200 clients will opt out.

"I haven't heard anyone say, 'This is just a fantastic thing, I'm really happy,'" Girard said. "I think people may be resigned to it as the best alternative. They feel like they are unlikely to get a better outcome in litigation. The problem is they just don't have a case."

In addition to Dorsett and DeLamielleure, the families of former players Dave Duerson and Junior Seau, both of whom committed suicide, intend to opt out of the deal.