The NFLPA filed a grievance in court claiming a former Patriots doctor altered a medical report in order to improve a legal case to force former player Jonathan Fanene to return his signing bonus, the Washington Post reported Friday.
As part of the filing, the NFLPA alleges former New England doctor Thomas Gill sent an email to Jonathan Kraft and Robert Kraft stating he was “trying to put together a case" that would force Fanene, a former Pats defensive end, to return $3.85 million to the team.
Additionally, the union alleges in the grievance letter that Pats coach Bill Belichick told Gill to delay surgery for Fanene while he was being persuaded to retire.
Put more simply: the union is alleging a team doctor put the interest of the team ahead of an individual player, which is in stark contrast to the doctor's obligation under the CBA.
Gill told the Post the grievance was a "legal maneuver" and the Patriots declined to comment, as did Belichick after the report ran Friday.
"Yeah, that case has been over for a long time," Belichick said Friday.
The NFL's been under fire for a number of issues in 2014, including a lawsuit from players claiming team doctors illegally administered prescription drugs.
Fanene was released in 2012 for "failure to disclose physical condition." His attorney, Angelo Wright, told the Post emails used in the grievance were obtained from a labor dispute between Fanene and the Pats via subpoena.
Also per Wright the former Patriots player accepted a settlement from the team that prohibits him from pursuing civil litigation or discussing the matter publicly.
Gill stepped down as Pats team physician in 2014 but claimed the phrase "put together a case" was taken out of context.
“If it was an e-mail to Mr. Kraft, it was basically saying, ‘I'm going to put together the chronology the training staff had asked me to put together,' ” Gill told the Post.
The physician also confirmed he received an email from Belichick.
“Coach Belichick sent an e-mail that said something about ‘let's play some four corners here,' which I think had to do with the timing,” Gill said. “It's vague to me at this point."
“He was saying let's slow this process down till we can figure out what's going on with Jonathan. Coach was talking about a day or two of trying to figure things out."
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith couldn't comment on the grievance specifically but did say the "allegations suggest behavior that is completely inappropriate."
“It makes serious allegations about the integrity and independence of a team doctor providing medical care to a player,” Smith said. “The allegations would suggest behavior that is completely inappropriate. I will look forward to seeing what the league intends to do as far as investigating this pursuant to their personal conduct policy."
