NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement
Injury Protection
Section 2(a)Qualification
A player will receive the Injury Protection Benefit in accordance with Section 3 if the player’s contract was terminated by his Club and he satisfies all of the criteria below;
(a)
The player must have been physically unable, because of a severe football injury in an NFL game or practice, to participate in all or part of his Club’s last game of the season of injury, as certified by the Club physician following a physical examination after the last game; or the player must have undergone Club-authorized surgery in the offseason following the season of injury; and