Rothman Orthopaedic Ends Relationship With Eagles Over Chris Maragos Damages

The long-standing team physician's contract that Rothman had with the Eagles expired earlier this month.

Philadelphia Eagles helmet / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - Rothman Orthopaedic Institute confirmed to SI.com's Eagles Today that it has ended its relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles over future malpractice risk in the wake of the Chris Maragos lawsuit.

The former special teams star and team captain was awarded $43.5 million in a lawsuit filed against his doctors over a career-ending knee injury in February of 2023.

A jury at the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas found that orthopedic surgeon James Bradley of the University of Pittsburgh and Rothman were negligent in the medical malpractice case, causing harm to two-time Super Bowl-winning safety and forcing him to end his NFL career prematurely.

Bradley, not Rothman, performed the surgery on Maragos’ knee. His treatment and recovery were overseen by Rothman, however. Maragos believes that his rehab was pushed too quickly despite an MRI showing he was still suffering from a partial tear of the PCL.

Bradley was found to be 67 percent negligent ($29.2 million) and Rothman Orthopedics 33 percent ($14.3 million), according to court documents at the time. The damages against Rothman have since been increased to $15.8M million as a penalty for not paying promptly,

Maragos suffered the injury during a game against the Carolina Panthers on October 12, 2017, which was later diagnosed as a torn right knee posterior cruciate ligament.

Appeals of the judgement are ongoing.judgment

Rothman has maintained that Bradley and UPMC should have been the ones at fault.

"Rothman Orthopaedic Institute has ended its longstanding role as the official team physicians for the Philadelphia Eagles," a spokesperson for Rothman told Becker's Spine Review. "The decision follows the jury verdict related to Christopher Maragos’ malpractice claim against Rothman Orthopaedics Institute in which Rothman physicians did not perform Maragos’ surgery. 

“While appeals of the Maragos decision are ongoing, the potential future liability remains too high. Our priority is to avoid further financial disruptions and ensure continued high-quality care for all patients in the communities we serve."

Rothman has been a partner with the team since 2004 and its team physicians’ contract with the Eagles expired on June 6, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Despite the long-time relationship ending, both parties have agreed to ensure uninterrupted care for the players until a new care provider is established.

Penn Medicine physician Dr. Arsh Dhanota remains the Eagles’ chief medical officer and has been since 2019. He was promoted to the team’s Vice President of Medical Care in 2023.

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