The complaint alleges that Bell was persuaded to undergo an unnecessary operation after MRI findings were misrepresented. It says he suffered a severe injury during the procedure and needed lifesaving treatment. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of medical and corporate negligence and fraud, and alleges they took part in a financial scheme to profit from the surgery.

Those claims are allegations in a civil case and have not been established in court. The complaint does not, in the information available, identify how damages would be divided among the defendants.

Bell’s lead attorney, Brad Sohn, said his legal team spent a year investigating the case, with surgeons and radiologists reviewing the matter. Sohn said the findings gave the team confidence it could prove that financial interests were prioritized over patient safety. Co-counsel Nathan Werksman called Bell’s injuries preventable and said the legal team would pursue the case on his behalf.

Bell’s attorneys say he retired from the NFL in October 2025 and filed the suit both to seek compensation for future earnings he says he lost and to prevent similar cases involving other patients. Jefferson Health had not responded to a request for comment as of the report’s publication.

Bell played college football at Purdue from 2019 to 2021, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2019 and Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2021. The Browns selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft; he played for Cleveland until his retirement.