Ex-NFL player sues Buccaneers for toe infection that ended career

Former kicker Lawrence Tynes is suing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after contracting a MRSA infection in a toe on his kicking foot that ended his career early.

Attorney Stephen F. Rosenthal said Tynes filed the lawsuit in Broward County (Fla.) Circuit Court on Monday and is seeking $20 million for damages and lost future earnings. Tynes was paid his $905,000 salary on full during the 2013 season while on the non-football injury list.

Tynes accused the Buccaneers of negligence in properly cleaning the team’s training facility, where he was exposed to the highly contagious infection in 2013.

Two other Bucs players — Carl Nicks and Johnthan Banks — also contracted MRSA. Nicks reached a settlement with the team last year and Banks recovered to start 14 games for Tampa Bay last season.

“While many NFL teams have taken cautionary steps to protect against MRSA infections, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ flagrant and negligent behavior suggests that they are willing to take shortcuts at the expense of their players’ safety,” Rosenthal said.

The 36-year-old Tynes played on two Super Bowl-winning teams with the New York Giants and also was with the Kansas City Chiefs during his nine-year career, making 81 percent of his field goal attempts. He joined the Bucs as a free agent in 2013 but never played in a game for Tampa Bay because of the infection.

The Buccaneers offered no comment on the suit.