Former Jets linebacker Erin Henderson was placed on the team’s non-football injury list last season, and the player is now suing the organization, citing “wrongful termination and disability discrimination.” According to Connor Hughes of NJ.com, Henderson is seeking $3.3MM in compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages, using his remaining 2016 and hypothetical 2017 salary as a guideline.
The lawsuit does acknowledge that the 31-year-old suffers from bipolar disorder, but it also notes that the organization was never accommodating before they “wrongfully terminated his employment.” The team ultimately said Henderson “was not fit” to play football, a revelation that the player didn’t learn about until the NFLPA grievance hearing in June.
The 2008 undrafted free agent out of Maryland spent the first six years of his career with the Vikings before spending the 2015 and 2016 campaign in New York. During his Jets tenure, Henderson appeared in 21 games (including four starts during his “injury-shortened” 2016 season), compiling 66 tackles and one forced fumble.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin is currently day-to-day with a groin injury, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter notes that there’s optimism that the Pro Bowler could even play this weekend. The 29-year-old had his best game of the season this past weekend, and he’s already hauled in 20 catches for 212 yards and one touchdown this season.
- Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told 98.7FM in Arizona that offensive guard Alex Boone has an injured pectoral muscle (via Kent Somers of AZCentral.com on Twitter). The veteran had an MRI today, and the team is hopeful that he can play through it. After refusing to take a pay cut from the Vikings, the 30-year-old ultimately joined Arizona this offseason, and he’s started two of the team’s first three games.
- The Packers placed long snapper Brett Goode on the injured reserve yesterday, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports that the player has now reached an injury settlement with the organization. This means the Packers can sign him later this season without making him one of the two players the team can return from the IR.