Ex-players: NFL Illegally Used Drugs

A group of retired NFL players says in a lawsuit that the league illegally supplied them with risky painkillers that numbed their injuries and led to medical complications.

Attorney Steven Silverman says his firm filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco.

The lawsuit takes aim at what it calls the league's culture of drug misuse. It says drugs were used to speed players' return to the field and maximize profits.

The eight named plaintiffs include Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent and quarterback Jim McMahon of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.

Players say they weren't told about broken bones and instead were fed pills and injections to mask pain.

Lawyers are seeking class-action status and say more than 400 plaintiffs have signed on.