Two thousand and one hundred forty former players opted out of the proposed class action settlement of the NFL Films case, supporters of the settlement told the court on Friday. Retirees in '09 sued NFL Films for allegedly not paying them for their use, and many have vigorously objected to a proposed $50M settlement that makes no direct payments to former players. The money goes to charities that support former players, a licensing agency, and legal fees. The brief supporting final approval filed by class action lawyers noted that despite efforts by opponents to get players to opt out, 90% of the eligible 25,000 member class stayed in. A member who did not file a notice against or for the settlement is counted as in the settlement.
Eighteen players also are objecting to the settlement, meaning they can orally argue against the settlement at the October 17 final approval hearing. Those players who opted out can file lawsuits, though currently there is an injunction against such cases. A group of retirees filed an appeal with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to allow such cases to proceed right away.
