Eleanor Perfetto widow of NFL player Ralph Wenzel leaves the U.S. Courthouse after a hearing on the proposed NFL concussion settlement on Nov. 19, 2014, in Philadelphia. Associated Press file photo

BOSTON — Dozens of widows and other caregivers for former NFL players diagnosed with CTE say a published study is insulting and dismissive of their experience living with the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football.

An open letter signed by the players’ wives, siblings and children says the study published in the May 6 issue of Frontiers in Psychology suggests their struggles caring for loved ones was due to “media hype” about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, rather than the disease itself. The implication that “caregiver concerns are ‘inevitable’ due to ‘publicity’ is callous, patronizing, and offensive,” they said.

“The burden we experienced did not happen because we are women unable to differentiate between our lived experience and stories from TV or newspaper reports,” they wrote in the letter. “Our loved ones were giants in life, CTE robbed them of their futures, and robbed us of our futures with them. Please don’t also rob us of our dignity.”

The pushback was led by Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, herself a medical researcher and the widow of former Steelers and Chargers end Ralph Wenzel, who developed dementia and paranoia and lost his ability to speak, walk and eat. He was first diagnosed with cognitive impairment in 1999 — six years before Pittsburgh center Mike Webster’s CTE diagnosis brought the disease into the mainstream media.

“My own experience, it just gave a name to what I witnessed every day. It didn’t put it in my head,” Perfetto said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It gave it a name. It didn’t change the symptoms.”

The study published last month asked 172 caregivers for current and former professional football players “whether they believed their partner had ‘CTE.'” Noting that all of the respondents were women, Perfetto questioned why their experiences would be minimized.

“Women run into that every day,” she said. “I don’t think that’s the only factor. I think the motivation is to make it seem like this isn’t a real issue. It’s not a real disease. It’s something that people glommed on to because they heard about it in the media.”

The letter was posted online on Monday under the headline, “NFL Caregivers to Harvard Football Player Health Study: Stop Insulting Us!” It had more than 30 signatures, including family of Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Louis Creekmur.

It praises the study for examining the fallout on loved ones who weathered the violent mood swings, dementia and depression that can come with the disease. The letter says the study gets it wrong by including what it considers unsupported speculation, such as: “Despite being an autopsy-based diagnosis, mainstream media presentations and high-profile cases related to those diagnosed postmortem with CTE may have raised concerns among living players about CTE.”

The letter said these are “insulting conclusions that were not backed by study evidence.”

Mosley retires

C.J. Mosley is ready to tackle life beyond playing football.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year NFL career with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, Mosley announced Thursday, his 33rd birthday, that he’s retiring.

Mosley was released by the Jets in March after playing in just four games last season because of a toe injury and later a herniated disk in his neck.

A popular playmaker and leader during his career, Mosley made his announcement with a 2-minute, 10-second video post on his Instagram page titled “Once upon a time …” that included highlights of his playing career.

“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said. “I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams. It won’t be easy, but I’m here to tell you every sacrifice is worth it.

“When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?”

Mosley, the 17th overall pick by Baltimore in the 2014 draft out of Alabama, had nearly 1,100 tackles with 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and three touchdowns.

He played five standout seasons with the Ravens before signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in 2019.

Sanders ticketed twice

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been ticketed for speeding twice this month in Ohio.

Sanders was accused of driving a Dodge TRX pickup truck 101 mph (163 kilometers per hour) on a suburban Cleveland interstate earlier this week.

The Strongsville Police Department stopped Sanders at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in a 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) zone on Interstate 71 near the Ohio Turnpike, according to a report provided to local media.

Sanders, 23, could pay a $250 fine to waive the fourth-degree misdemeanor case, according to police.

But it wasn’t the first time he’d been pulled over for allegedly speeding since joining the Browns.

That ticket came after he was stopped by the Ohio State Patrol on June 5 in Brunswick Hills, Ohio. Sanders was pulled over for going 91 mph (147 kilometers per hour) in a 65 mph (105 kilometer) zone, Ohio State Patrol told WKBN-TV.