Injuries happen in the NFL, it's just the nature of the game. Some are more serious than others, but more often than not, players are able to get treatment, and return to the field because they have access to some of the world's best doctors.

At least, that's what former Bronco football player Chris Maragos thought when he got treatment for a knee injury in 2017, that ultimately ended his career. But it wasn't the injury that kept him from returning, it was the poor treatment. And just this week, he won a HUGE case that stands as a warning to sub-par medical personnel who work with players.

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Maragos was a redshirt Wide Receiver at Western Michigan in 2005, and one of the first players he met on the team was Greg Jennings. He started six games in 2006, helping lead the Broncos to the International Bowl that season. Then before the 2007 season, he transferred to Wisconsin, and eventually moved on to the NFL where he initially played for the 49ers and Seahawks (where he won his first Super Bowl Ring), before landing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014.

During his time in Philly, Maragos had a successful, yet "under-the-radar" career. His biggest claim to fame was in December of 2015 when he blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown to beat the New England Patriots, 35-28.

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But sadly, his career came to a screeching halt after suffering a knee injury while playing the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 of 2017. That season, the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl against the Patriots, giving Maragos a second ring. But sadly, he was on Injured Reserve for his knee for the game.

he put his faith in Dr. James Bradley and the Rothman Orthopaedics Institute to repair his knee in surgery.

But during surgery, the medical team ignored an additional meniscus tear.

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As a result, his knee never fully recovered, and he was let go by the Eagles, and officially retired in 2019 - prematurely, given that he was only 31 at the time, and had limited playing time on the field, mostly spent on special teams.

So, he did what he needed to do, and filed suit against the doctor, and the practice for medical negligence. Finally, on Valentine's Day, he won his case. Dr. Bradley would pay Maragos $29.2 million dollars in damages, and the Rothman Orthopaedics Institute would pay him $14.3 million - a $43.5 million win for a player that, by all accounts, should still be playing in the league.

"On Sunday, my team played in the Super Bowl, and I could only watch and wonder whether I could have been out there with them had I received proper medical care. While I live in constant pain and will never get back on the field, I hope this decision sends a message to teams' medical staffs that players are people, not just contracts." - Maragos, via Eagles Today

Who knows what could have been with this man's career moving forward, and thankfully, he got some retribution for the damages done. Not all players are as lucky, and he regularly retweets, and comments on players going through major injuries, and their comeback stories.

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