Last month, the NFL pledged to discontinue “race norming.” Since the early 2000s, the league had been using the controversial medical practice — which included the assumption that Black players have lower cognitive function than white players — as part of a dementia test to determine payouts in a brain injury settlement. Race norming in professional football first received broad public attention in August 2020, when former players Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport sued the league, alleging that the practice prevented them from getting an award in the $1 billion-plus settlement over the NFL failing to protect players from the chronic risks associated with head injuries.