Home/NFL Benefits/Line of Duty

NFL Line of Duty Disability Benefits

Hurt on the field? The plan owes you.

Line of Duty (LOD) disability pays former NFL players with a lasting football injury every month, even if you're still working. We build the medical record, file your claim, and handle the appeal if you're denied.

$4,000+
minimum per month
90 months
maximum length of payments
Keep working
a job doesn't disqualify you
What it is

What is NFL Line of Duty disability?

Line of Duty is a monthly benefit from the NFL Player Disability & Neurocognitive Benefit Plan. It's for former players who have a substantial, permanent disablement that came from NFL football activities, like a knee, shoulder, back or neck injury you played through.

The Disability Board decides your claim by reviewing your application, your medical records, and reports from the Plan's neutral physicians. That means the claim is won or lost on the evidence. Most denials come down to missing records, the wrong exams, or a missed deadline.

Your monthly payment is the greater of $4,000 or the sum of your Disability Credits for your Credited Seasons.

Who qualifies for Line of Duty

Unless an exception applies, you need to meet every one of these.

01

A lasting football injury

The Board finds you have a substantial, permanent disablement that arose out of NFL football activities.

02

You’re a former player

You’re no longer an Active Player in the NFL.

03

Not on pension

You aren’t receiving Pension Plan benefits, and you aren’t already receiving LOD benefits from the Pension Plan.

04

You apply on time

Your application is received before your LOD deadline, which depends on your Credited Seasons.

05

No open claims or recent LOD denial

You don’t have another pending Disability Plan application, or an LOD application denied in the last 12 months.

06

You attend the exams

You go to the exams with the Plan’s neutral physicians and provide any extra information they ask for.

LOD deadline check

Is your window still open?

1How many credited NFL seasons?4
2How long since you were released from your last team?2 yrs
3Are you receiving NFL pension benefits now?
Your LOD deadline
Still open
You may still be inside your Line of Duty window. Don’t wait: your application has to be received before the deadline.
Your filing window4 years from release
Time leftAbout 2 years
Monthly benefit$4,000+/mo
Book my free LOD review →
With 4 or fewer Credited Seasons, your application must be received within 48 months of the date you're no longer an Active Player. With 5 or more, the deadline is the number of years equal to your Credited Seasons. Your exact date is confirmed on review.
How we handle it

Your LOD claim, start to finish

Our LOD specialists have filed thousands of these. Here's what we do for you.

Step 01

Free LOD review

A 30-minute call. We go over your seasons, injuries and release date, confirm your deadline, and tell you straight whether LOD fits.

Step 02

Build the medical record

We collect your team and personal medical records and line up the evidence the Board looks for, injury by injury.

Step 03

File before the deadline

We prepare and submit your LOD application to the NFL Player Benefits Office and prepare you for the neutral physician exams.

Step 04

Appeal if denied

If the Board says no, we handle the appeal with new evidence and written arguments until there’s a final answer.

After you're approved

Your first check covers back pay

If your LOD application is approved, your effective date is the first day of the month that is two months before the NFL Player Benefits Office received your completed application. Your first payment is retroactive to that date. The sooner your application is complete, the sooner the clock starts.

Example
Application receivedSeptember
Effective dateJuly 1
First payment coversEvery month since July
Denied, then approved
“I was denied the benefit and Legacy Pro Sports kept pushing me, kept me motivated and made sure I got in front of the right people… And now today, I am approved.”
Shaquem GriffinNFL Benefits Winner

A denial isn't the end. If your LOD claim was turned down, we review the decision, rebuild the evidence and file the appeal.

FAQ

NFL Line of Duty questions

Don't see yours? Ask us on a free call.

Your monthly payment is the greater of $4,000 or the sum of your Disability Credits for your Credited Seasons. Payments last for up to 90 months.

Yes. Line of Duty is based on a substantial, permanent disablement from NFL football activities, not on whether you can hold a job.

With four or fewer Credited Seasons, your application must be received within 48 months of the date you’re no longer an Active Player. With five or more, your deadline is the number of years equal to your Credited Seasons. For example, six Credited Seasons gives you six years.

No. Players receiving Pension Plan benefits aren’t eligible for LOD. If you’re close to starting your pension, talk to us first.

You can appeal. Many LOD claims are won on appeal with stronger medical evidence. If your LOD application was denied in the last 12 months, you generally can’t file a new one, so the appeal matters.

Some players qualify for more than one program, such as Total & Permanent or Neurocognitive, but most can’t be collected at the same time. We look at all of them on your review.

The clock is running.
Let's file it right.
Book a free LOD review → See all my benefits