How did former Eagles star Chris Maragos win $43.5M? Super Bowl-winning safety gets verdict on career-ending injury

Chris Maragos suffered a devastating knee injury during the 2017 NFL season while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. While this was an extremely unfortunate event for his career, things took an even worse turn after.

Maragos was diagnosed with a torn right knee posterior cruciate ligament, for which he had surgery. To make things worse, his path to recovery was apparently botched by the medical team.

The surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Bradley, while Chris Maragos' treatment plan was overseen by Rothman Orthopedics. They apparently attempted to progress him through the recovery process too quickly, which essentially ended his career as an NFL player as his knee never fully healed properly.

Maragos fought back against the incident by filing a lawsuit in a medical malpractice case. He argued that their mistreatment of his injury and recovery process are the reasons why his NFL career ended so early. After a prolonged legal battle, Maragos was awarded a victory in the form of $43.5 million in the medical malpractice suit.

Maragos' lawyer Dion G. Rassias stated that this could be a landmark case in the way the NFL medical staff handles injuries moving forward.

"This case and this jury may have changed the course of history by now forcing these team doctors and trainers to stop worrying about when a player might return to play and start thinking about the next 50 years of a player's life."

Chris Maragos hopes this is the case, using his experience as a prime example of why he believes the philosophy needs to change on NFL injuries.

"While I live in constant pain and will never get back on the field, I hope this decision sends a message to teams' medical staffs that players are people, not just contracts."

The unfortunate injury ended Maragos' career as it was just getting started. He and his legal team are hoping this decision raises awareness and eventually leads to major changes.

Chris Maragos' NFL career ended too soon

Chris Maragos with the Eagles

Chris Maragos spent eight seasons in the NFL as a defensive back. He began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2010, before joining the Seattle Seahawks in 2011. He spent three years with the Seahawks, where he helped them win a Super Bowl ring.

Maragos then joined the Philadelphia Eagles for the final four years of his career before suffering a career-ending knee injury. He received his second Super Bowl ring with the Eagles, but was unfortunately unable to play in the game due to the injury. He was just 31 years old when his career suddenly stopped short.