Former Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Files Massive $300-Million Lawsuit After He Almost Died
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
A former Cleveland Browns wide receiver has filed a $300 million lawsuit this week.
Back in 2025, David Bell announced his retirement from the NFL. The third-round draft pick in 2022 went on to catch 41 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns in parts of three seasons with the Browns.
He announced on Instagram. “Several months ago, I was blindsided by an off-field injury that was beyond my control, which put my football future in jeopardy,” Bell began the statement.
“After consulting with medical experts and praying, I accept that continuing to play football would literally risk life and limb,” he wrote, adding that retiring is “the last thing I would otherwise want to do.”
Just because his career was over did not mean we were hearing the last of David Bell.
David Bell’s Lawsuit Details Core Muscle Surgery
The Cleveland Browns are gearing up for another divisional game in Week 6, but a former WR has his own battle off the field.
According to a post on X, David Bell has filed a $300 million lawsuit against 15 defendants. He is alleging that an unnecessary core muscle surgery nearly killed him and ended his football career. The lawsuit is seeking more than $300 million in damages against Jefferson Health System and 14 other defendants.
The lawsuit leaves the Browns off the list of the 15 defendants. Instead, David Bell is taking aim at the various medical companies and doctors who performed the failed procedure. His attorneys claim the defendants performed many unnecessary procedures to increase their profits.
While Bell thankfully survived, the surgery likely forced him to retire at a young age. That permanently halted his earning potential.
The Browns selected David Bell with the No. 99 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Consequently, he signed a four-year deal worth $5,044,908, which included an $849,024 signing bonus.
During the third year of his contract, the team placed him on injured reserve with a dislocated hip, and doctors ultimately advised him to medically retire.
