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Could the NFL Include a "Gladiator Clause" in Contracts?

Jack Hays

Jack Hays

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This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this question has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
 
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Jack Hays said:
This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
Click to expand...


I cannot see this ever happening. We will never admit, honestly, that we aren’t as far away from the baser indulgences that our forebears embraced.
 
Jack Hays said:
This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
Click to expand...

I believe players in the past have offered to sign legals waivers to be signed and teams refused.

I believe the fellows name was Jermichael Finley. I am guessing Chris Bosh as well.

Nfl teams do not want the potential of players dying on the field.
 
Rexedgar said:
I cannot see this ever happening. We will never admit, honestly, that we aren’t as far away from the baser indulgences that our forebears embraced.
Click to expand...

Lots of things have happened which I could never have imagined not long ago. One of them is in the White House. Likelihood is not really my question though. My question really is whether such contract language is legally viable.
 
Bucky said:
I believe players in the past have offered to sign legals waivers to be signed and teams refused.

I believe the fellows name was Jermichael Finley. I am guessing Chris Bosh as well.

Nfl teams do not want the potential of players dying on the field.
Click to expand...

My question is not "would they" but "could they."
 
It wouldn't surprise me to see a league set up with gladiator rules and be successful. It could be like the MMA of football.

Don't think I would care for it but there is an audience out there.

In hockey they have 6 man line brawls. Just imagining 11 man line brawls... whoa.
 
Jack Hays said:
This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this question has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it is legally possible. Every company in America would do this if they could.
 
Well, certainly an interesting notion, so thanks for the topic.
I'm not a lawyer, but from my background, this sounds like informed consent. You are made aware of the possible side effects of making piles of money and you sign away.
That said, I don't see it ever being feasible. For example, to give consent, you need to be informed and be able to be informed. With CTE, that even brings reasoning and thinking with a damaged brain into question.
Further, yes, it would turn into hockey and players might go for blood if they know they can't be held responsible.
 
Jack Hays said:
This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this question has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
Click to expand...

NFL Players Association... because of, not going to happen.
 
Jack Hays said:
This is an admittedly strange topic, and does not reflect anything I advocate, but I suspect I'm not the only one to whom this question has occurred. The NFL is having great difficulty improving player safety without, as one commentator said, "taking the football out of football." What if they stopped trying?

What if a condition of employment as a player in the NFL was signing a waiver, a "gladiator clause" if you will, by which a player waives all claims for compensation for any injury from any cause while playing? Is that even legally plausible? I'm not a lawyer, but I recall some rights cannot be signed away. What are the possible ground rules here?

Just curious.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the owners can get them to sign anything....once.

It might be time to give up on the game. Hard to do. I tried before. But, it sucked me right back in.
 
calamity said:
I'm sure the owners can get them to sign anything....once.

It might be time to give up on the game. Hard to do. I tried before. But, it sucked me right back in.
Click to expand...

I think it's possible the end of football is just over the horizon.
 
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