Football Player Insurance and NFL Athlete Income Protection

Loss of Value (LOV) insurance pays the gap between the contract a player projected to sign and the contract actually signed after a qualifying injury. Calculated Loss equals Season Loss multiplied by Season Multiplier, capped at the Maximum Benefit Amount. Compensation under LOVCollege010126 and LOVAppendix010126 includes salary, bonuses, and anything else of value including property, investments, and loans included in an Offer from a Professional Sports Team. A 4-season contract coverage window is typical. The premium and refund mechanics differ from the PTD products, and the differences materially affect what the player pays and what the underwriter refunds.

The full payment-timing, waiver, refund, and cancellation comparison across all five forms, which apply the same way across every sport this coverage covers, is on the Pro Athletes page.

Quote Football Player Loss of Value Coverage

Critical Injury insurance, form CI010126, pays a Maximum Benefit when a player suffers a named injury at or above the policy’s severity threshold. Coverage is structured in two categories with separate benefit caps. A High-Grade Tear means a partial-thickness tear of 50% or greater, a full-thickness tear, or a full-thickness tear with retractions. A Surgical Operation means an invasive medical procedure performed by a Physician. Investigative or diagnostic procedures including arthroscopies do not satisfy the surgical requirement.

The full list of named injuries and their benefit category, identical across every sport this coverage covers, is on the Pro Athletes page.

Apply for Critical Injury Coverage

Critical Injury, College LOV, and Pro LOV products require reconstructive surgery within a defined window after the Accident. The window depends on the injury. A tear of the ACL allows up to 50 days from the Accident to surgery. A spine herniation allows up to 180 days. Most tendon and ligament tears require surgery within 30 days. A surgery completed outside the window does not qualify for benefit. The PTD products do not require surgery within a window because the PTD benefit hinges on Permanent Total Disability rather than the surgery itself.

The full injury-by-injury surgery-window table, covering every named injury and every sport this coverage applies to, is on the Pro Athletes page.

Review Surgery Window Requirements

All five sports policies exclude war, suicide, criminal acts resulting in conviction, and the player’s death. Beyond that universal set, exclusions differ by product. The PTD products exclude Mental, Neurocognitive and Nervous Disorders plus concussions and Post Concussion Syndrome if the player had a prior concussion with loss of consciousness or 3 or more prior concussions. The LOV products use the narrower psychotic, psychoneurotic or epileptic origin wording instead. Critical Injury is the only form with an explicit alcohol exclusion. All five exclude illegal drug use and sport-governing-body prohibited substances.

The full exclusion comparison across all five forms, which applies the same way across every sport this coverage covers, is on the Pro Athletes page.

Get an Underwriting Review

The Professional LOV form, LOVAppendix010126, requires a signed release before any benefit is paid. The release states that the final settlement has been reached. The release also provides that any future Permanent Total Disability claim arising from the same Accident or Sickness would be reduced by the LOV settlement amount. The contract reads: no claim payment made under this Insurance until You have started to play or practice with a Professional Sports Team and signed a satisfactory release confirming that final settlement has been reached. Players who expect to file both LOV and PTD claims on the same injury must understand that the second payout is reduced by the first.

Compare LOV and PTD Coverage Together

The college and professional products carry different triggers, different exclusions, and different release requirements. College PTD applies before the player signs a professional contract. Professional PTD applies after signing. College LOV is voided by failure to declare for the draft. Professional LOV requires a signed release before benefit payment. Critical Injury is the only product available at every career stage. The summary table below compares all five products on the features most relevant to a purchasing decision.

Source: Specimen policies underwritten by certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, executed by Petersen International Underwriters, Valencia, CA. Terms shown are from specimen policy language and are subject to change at underwriting. Not all products are available to all athletes.

Get a Stage-Specific Quote

Premium varies by player age, position, contract value, projected contract value, prior injury history, and the specific products selected. The Critical Injury and Pro PTD products include an exposure-rated premium credit obligation when the player signs a new contract or contract extension. Premium is due at the Effective Date and the first day of each premium mode. A 31-day grace period applies to every form. Any unpaid premium at the time benefits are paid is deducted from the benefits paid.

Request a Cost Estimate

NIL income from endorsement contracts, sponsorship agreements, and licensing deals can be included in the Compensation calculation for LOV policies. Compensation under LOVCollege010126 and LOVAppendix010126 includes salary, bonuses, and anything else of value including property, investments, and loans, whether or not in cash, regardless of when paid. Coverage is calibrated at the time of application based on documented NIL agreements. Players whose NIL income exceeds their projected professional contract value need a separate disability insurance structure layered above the college LOV product.

Quote NIL Income Protection

NFL collective bargaining provides limited group disability benefits with caps and conditions. NFL programs typically lack the 1-year statute of limitations and four-step grievance procedure that the individual sports policies provide. The individual policies (PTD, LOV, Critical Injury) supplement rather than replace group benefits. Players should layer individual coverage on top of the NFL benefit to fill the gap between group-program caps and actual income exposure. Set for Life Insurance reviews both layers before recommending a structure.

Layer Individual Coverage Above NFL Group