"This decision essentially forced the 140 (plus) players involved in the suit to settle and prevented the participation of all other potential litigants. So it will seem that both sides 'won' in what was really a lopsided victory for the owners.

It's just that all of the owners won by gaining current and future protection from damages and a minor fraction of the players won something that they would have zero chance in obtaining in isolation versus the league."

Settlement talks ramped back up in July with an agreement reached Nov. 7. Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly have, on multiple occasions, said the lawsuit had no merit.

"When it comes to focusing on concussions and trying to understand them and how to treat them, we've been leaders in the field," Bettman told the AP in May. "And that gets completely lost in the rhetoric of the litigation, and I don't like discussing the litigation.

There is a sense because it gets sensationalized that the reality of our position with player safety is somehow at odds with the reality of the science and the medicine and it's not true. We study it very closely."

The NFL settlement covers more than 20,000 retired players, and lawyers expect payouts to top $1.5 billion over 65 years. As of last month , the NFL concussion lawsuit claims panel has approved more than $500 million in awards and paid out $330 million.