Last year, a number of retired NFL players won a class action lawsuit against the NFL Players Association, arguing that the union conspired with Electronic Arts to use their likenesses in the Madden series without proper compensation. While the NFLPA had threatened to appeal the decision since then, the New York Times now reports (via Kotaku) that the union has reached a $26 million settlement with the players, in the interest of building a "better partnership."

The original victory had awarded the retired players $28.1 million, but Ronald S. Katz, the lead lawyer for the players, says the slightly lower award is preferred over continuing a fight for a larger sum. "They got a 10 percent discount and we got our money now," Katz said. "A lot of [the players] are elderly and a lot of them are ill, and for them to get this money is very substantial. To have the full amount years from now would not mean anything."

The money works out to about $10,000 per retired player involved in the lawsuit, with half of the money to be awarded this year, and the other half within two years. For the NFLPA, newly elected executive director DeMaurice Smith said the settlement was part of an effort of repairing their relationship with the retired players. "This is a step forward in our effort to become one team," Smith said.