Late appeal sends NFL concussion case to Supreme Court

PHILADELPHIA -- A last-minute appeal in the NFL concussion case sends the proposed settlement to the U.S. Supreme Court and delays payouts for at least several months.

The family of the late Buffalo Bills fullback Carlton "Cookie" Gilchrist wants the high court to revisit the debate over the brain injury known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The appeal filed Monday by son Scott Gilchrist calls it "irrational" that a federal judge in Philadelphia excluded future payouts for CTE from the potential $1 billion settlement, though the science continues to develop.

Other plaintiffs have gotten extra time to appeal.

The lead negotiators complain their injured clients need help now. The settlement covers more than 21,000 NFL retirees and awards several million dollars for some with Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.