NFL notes: Jason Pierre-Paul settles lawsuit with ESPN; Michael Vick to retire

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and ESPN have settled a lawsuit over the network’s disclosure of his medical records from a 2015 fireworks accident.

ESPN announced the settlement on Friday, saying it believes that the network’s reporting about the injury was newsworthy and appropriate journalism.

Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon declined comment.

The network said despite their different points of view, the parties agreed to resolve their dispute amicably.

The case was set for trial in August after a Miami federal judge rejected ESPN’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Pierre-Paul was hospitalized in Miami after the July Fourth accident, which caused serious injuries to his right hand. The lawsuit claimed ESPN and a network reporter violated his privacy and Florida medical confidentiality laws by posting the records on social media.

The network argued that the records merely bolstered a news report.

Vick says he’ll retire

Michael Vick, who rose to stardom with the Atlanta Falcons before he was sent to prison for running a dogfighting operation, tells ESPN he is retiring from playing in the NFL.

The 36-year-old Vick, a dynamic dual threat with his speedy legs and powerful left arm, passed for 22,464 yards and 133 touchdowns during his 13 seasons with the Falcons, Eagles, Jets and Steelers. His 6,109 career yards rushing are an NFL record by a quarterback.

Vick, who did not play this season, says he is “ready to move on to different things in my life and different facets of my life.”

Vick was selected by Atlanta with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft. He made three Pro Bowl appearances with the Falcons and became the first quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, going for 1,039 in 2006 with Atlanta.

After serving nearly two years in prison for his role in the dogfighting case, Vick never played for Atlanta again. He spent five years with Philadelphia, where he was chosen the NFL’s comeback player of the year in 2010, and had backup stints with New York (2014) and Pittsburgh (2015).

Former players donate brains for research

Former 49ers offensive lineman Randy Cross is among 30 retired NFL players who have pledged to donate their brains to concussion research. Pro Bowlers Keith Sims and Shawn Springs were also among the players. More names will be released later this month.

The pledges are for the Concussion Legacy Foundation, founded by Chris Nowinski, the former WWE wrestler who has been among the most outspoken critics of the way the NFL has diagnosed and treated concussions over the years.

The NFL was long reluctant to acknowledge the link between concussions and CTE, a brain disease that can only be identified in autopsies. One neuropathologist, Ann McKee, has identified CTE in the brains of 90 of the 94 former pro football players she studied after their death.

Spain accusing woman of robbing him

Authorities in Orlando are searching for a woman suspected of drugging and robbing Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Quinton Spain. An Orange County Sheriff’s Office report released Friday says Spain told deputies he was robbed of $113,000 in jewelry last week.

The report says Spain met the woman at an Orlando nightclub. They drove back to Spain’s hotel room, where the woman made him a drink. Spain told deputies he doesn’t remember anything after that until he woke up to find he was missing a $60,000 gold chain, a $40,000 Rolex watch and another gold chain worth $13,000.

Spain didn’t return an email seeking comment. Deputies say two other men reported being the victims of similar crimes by another woman around the same time. It wasn’t known if Spain’s robbery was connected to the other two.