Dave Duerson's son is not happy that the league is downplaying the danger of head trauma in football during media sessions at the Super Bowl.
Duerson killed himself in 2011, and Boston University then found that he was one of many football players found to have suffered from the degenerative brain disease CTE.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking Friday at his annual Super Bowl week news conference, said the NFL has "made great progress" in the area of concussions by way of rule changes and improving equipment.
"From my standpoint, I played the game of football for nine years, through high school. I wouldn't give up a single day of that," Goodell said. "If I had a son, I'd love to have him play the game of football. I'd love to have him play the game of football because of the values you get.
"There's risk in life. There's risk sitting on the couch. What we want to do is get people active. I want them to experience the game of football because the game of football will teach you the values ... the discipline, the teamwork, the perseverance. Those are values and those are skills that will lead you through life, and I believe football is the best to teach that."
On Feb., 4, Dr. Mitch Berger, a member of the NFL's head, neck and spine committee, addressed the media and said that there is no definitive link between degenerative brain disease and football.
Duerson's son, Tregg Duerson, issued a statement Sunday through the law firm of Corboy & Demetrio, which has represented the family in litigation against the NFL.
"Comparing the CTE risk that NFL players face with an apparently inherent risk in sitting on the couch is an insult to the men affected by CTE. These men and their families deserve better," Tregg Duerson said. "The Commissioner and the owners should be displaying empathy, not insensitively minimizing the severity of long-term brain damage."
Information from ESPN's Paul Gutierrez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.