I don't think it was really about the token amount of money, it was about embracing a philosophy where injuring players was a goal and worthy of praise in the unit.
It's hard to tell what the right balance is for the NFL. People are going to keep complaining about the player safety policies, but when you look at old games from the 60's 70's, the supposed golden age of pro football, it's almost comical comparing how players hit and the size of the players behind the hits. It looked nowhere close to as violent as today's game. Some people won't be satisfied until every player exiting the league has brain trauma and needs a cane to walk because their joints are wrecked I guess.