Former NFL media member Jim Trotter has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league. Trotter alleges that the NFL tries to control the narrative and media coverage surrounding their league and some alarming details have been revealed regarding the Bills-Bengals last season that saw Damar Hamlin collapse on the field.
After Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on January 2, 2023, players, coaches, and fans were left visibly shaken. It was unimaginable to think that the two teams could resume play after a terrifying moment. However, Trotter claims a member of the NFL league office instructed both teams that play would continue after a "five-minute warm-up."
Trotter mentioned that the NFL did not want him to report the news due to his role as a member of the media team. The league does not want its media team to participate in commentary that could tarnish the NFL’s public image. Given how sensitive Hamlin’s collapse on the field is, the NFL has vehemently denied these claims.
Trotter personally reached out to the NFL’s Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy in an attempt to receive any comment(s) from the employee who informed teams they would resume play. McCarthy not only refused to make said employee available to Trotter but denied all allegations.
The lawsuit between Jim Trotter and the NFL was officially filed on September 12, 2023. Trotter’s goal is to "leave the game in better shape than you [he] found it," and making sure the league maintains journalistic integrity would go a long way in doing so.
