Over 20 Pro football greats, including Eric Dickerson, have threatened to boycott future induction ceremonies if the NFL does not provide health insurance and annual salaries to all current Hall of Famers.
Through a statement addressed to the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodwell on Tuesday, the former players cited the organization’s growing revenue to demand an annual salary. They also requested health insurance to all former Pro Football players or else they will boycott future ceremonies.
“The time has come for us to be treated as part of a game we’ve given so much to,” part of the letter read. “Until our demands are met, the Hall of Famers will not attend the annual induction ceremony in Canton.”
Signed by former Los Angeles Rams’ player, Dickerson, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen and a few more notable players, the letter states that $4 million a year will be enough to cover the former players’ health insurance costs. As for their salary, the letter arrived at its $56 million estimates by saying they only needed 40 cents for every $100 the NFL earned per year.
The letter also clarified that the money and insurance would only cover the Hall of Famers’ 318 members.
Whether the NFL will honor the demand is unclear, noting that neither the organization nor the NFLPA made any response in reference to the letter. The high amounts requested for salaries may also fuel an uphill battle for the former players.
