Lawrence Tynes, two-time Super Bowl winner and the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker has commenced a lawsuit for $20 million. Tynes has alleged that the dirty and unsafe conditions at the Buccaneers facility led him to contract MRSA. This infection ultimately ended his NFL career.
Tynes signed with the Buccaneers in 2013, but never played a game. He claims that during training camp he and three other players, including Carl Nicks, contracted MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). He further claims that that Buccaneers leadership did not advise the people using the facility of the outbreak in a poor attempt to cover up the issue.
According to Tynes, Buccaneers’ staff failed to advise him of his condition for 8-9 days, when presumably they knew that he had contracted the dangerous infection in his toe. Ultimately, he went to an outside doctor who promptly advised him of his condition. Tynes told ESPN, “I’m at a billion-dollar company with the supposed best doctors in the world, and not one of them told me that I had that? I know they knew I had it. They just didn’t want me to have it.” Tynes can no longer kick because of the constant pain in his toe, which may have to be amputated.
Tynes was paid $905,000 in 2013, but his lawsuit claims future lost earnings to the tune of $20 million. Unsurprisingly, the Buccaneers declined to comment. Interestingly, the Buccaneers settled with teammate Carl Nicks for $3 million for the same career-ending injury.