Ex-Eagles DB Wins Malpractice Suit against Steelers Surgeon

A former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back has won a massive medical malpractice settlement and the Pittsburgh Steelers team surgeon is one of the defendants in the lawsuit. Chris Maragos, who played for nine NFL seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles, was awarded $43.5 million by a Philadelphia jury on Monday.

Maragos sued Rothman Institute, a Philadelphia-based orthopedic practice, and Dr. James Bradley, who is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ team surgeon.

Maragos alleged that Bradley and Rothman had missed diagnosing a torn meniscus in 2017, while performing surgery to repair a torn PCL, even after an MRI in 2018 showed his meniscus injury worsening. He never played another game, and contended in court that the injury cost him at least $8.7 million in future NFL earnings. Former teammates were part of the testimony.

“On Sunday, my team played the Superbowl, and I could only watch and wonder whether I could have been out there with them had I received proper medical care,” Maragos said to the Washington Post in a statement. “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.”

Two-thirds of the $43.5 million in damages were assigned to Bradley, who has been the Steelers’ team surgeon for over 30 years. He was inducted into the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Hall of Fame in 2022. Several other NFL team doctors testified on Bradley’s behalf. It is unclear if Bradley will appeal the ruling.

Bradley is the brother of former Steelers defensive backs coach and Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who was with the Steelers from 2018-20.

Maragos was originally signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2010. He caught on with the Seahawks and was a special teamer in Seattle’s Super Bowl XLVIII win in 2014. A free agent for the first time in 2014, he snagged a three-year, $4 million contract with the Eagles and again became a core special teamer while also playing a larger role on defense. He won a second Super Bowl ring with the Eagles after his injury in 2017.