NFLPA: Bengals Ownership is Trying to Strip Ohio Players of Worker’s Comp Benefits

The Cincinnati Bengals are being accused of attempting to change workers’ compensation laws in Ohio.

The National Football League Players Association warned members on Sunday of the franchise’s alleged intentions, which would have significant ramifications:

The notice from the NFLPA seems to be a move to get ahead of any proposed legislation during the current session of the Ohio General Assembly.

According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, the NFLPA is alleging that the Bengals “are seeking to introduce legislation that would limit professional athletes who have been under contract for five or more years from obtaining permanent partial disability compensation.” There is a belief that the legislation “would require those athletes to pay for their own medical care at billed amounts instead of any reduced rates available under Ohio’s workers’ compensation laws.”

According to data provided by the NFLPA, compensation benefits for athletes range between $3,000 and $5,000, and there are 18 members associated with the Bengals that are seeking workers’ compensation this year. Per the collective bargaining agreement, a team that declines workers’ compensation under state law must “guarantee equivalent benefits to its players.”

Baby noted that the Bengals, who have yet to comment on the matter, do not draw from the workers’ compensation fund distributed by the state as a self-insured franchise. However, the proposed legislation could “limit the amount the team is liable to distribute in cases of permanent partial disability that deal with workplace injuries.”

If the legislation is passed, other professional teams in Ohio would also have less financial responsibility when it comes to disability claims, such as the Cleveland Browns, NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and several others.