Montana freaking retired over 11 years ago. How can he claim a workers comp claim now? He should have filed it in 94 or reasonably thereafter.
"rightfully owed, and earned."
You are assuming a lot here. I don't care who he beat. Some folks still function from a "me" and "entitlement" mentality. That is how I see this bearing out for him, and you are defending him without facts.
When a player retires with an injury or injuries that occurred during his NFL career, the team still has a responsiblity to rehab the guy and pay the medical expenses. Knees, backs, shoulders, necks, you name it, those injuries can be chronic and can require repeated treatment and surgeries over many years. Sometimes a situation is treated with therapy for a number of years, with the idea that at some point, the guy will require a surgery. I'll try to find the article from yesterday and get it to you, to give you some idea about how badly these guys fall apart post-career, and how the NFL and its teams do their best to avoid paying for medical treatment they are obligated to pay. It's a good article.