Jim McMahon, the fun-loving quarterback of the Super Bowl XX-winning Chicago Bears, hasn’t been so fun-loving in retirement, as pain and memory loss wore him down to the point where he contemplated suicide.
But McMahon, a plaintiff in the concussion lawsuit against the NFL, said on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday that he has responded well to medical treatment and is glad a settlement has been reached -- less for himself than for those who haven’t responded as well to treatment as he has.
“All these guys who are suffering along with me are going to get some relief,” McMahon said. “A lot of these guys are a lot worse off than I am.”
McMahon said he’s enjoying retirement, and he doesn’t sound like he has many regrets. But McMahon still believes that when he was playing, team doctors were more interested in helping teams win games than they were in taking care of players. And McMahon still believes that some of his former teammates have suffered because of that inadequate medical care.
“I don’t think they were looking out for our best interests, that’s for sure,” McMahon said of team doctors.
McMahon said he’s glad the settlement was reached relatively quickly, while some players who need treatment may be able to get it in time to improve their lives: “It’s good to get this done now.”
