Former Chicago Bears' quarterback Jim McMahon and six of his fellow professional football players are suing the National Football League (NFL) over health problems they claim are the result of concussions and other brain injuries they suffered on the field.

McMahon, who revealed last year that he is suffering from memory loss, alleges that the NFL was negligent and that players have suffered from headaches, dizziness and dementia because of football-related injuries. McMahon claims that when he was playing teams did not care if players suffered concussions.

“Back then, it was just tape an aspirin to your helmet and you go back in,” McMahon said.

The other players joining the suit are Ray Easterling, Wayne Radloff, Gerry Feehery, Joe Thomas, Mike Furrey and Steve Kiner.  A separate group of dozens of former players filed a similar suit against the NFL in July.

"The purpose of this lawsuit is to obtain proper funding to address these horrible long-term issues and to compel the NFL to establish a medical monitoring system to reduce the risk that current and future players will end up with the same kind of chronic mental and physical problems,” the plaintiffs said in a joint statement.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that the league will vigorously contest the claims.

—Source: profootballtalk.nbcsports.com