Nearly five years ago, the NFL donated $30 million to the National Institutes of Health for brain research, an initiative that commissioner Roger Goodell touted as a demonstration of the league’s commitment to fund independent science exploring the link between football and brain disease. But the marriage between the NFL and the government agency appears headed for a divorce.

NIH officials decided months ago to let the agreement expire in August with more than half of the money unused, following a bitter dispute in 2015 in which the NFL backed out of a major study that had been awarded to a researcher who had been critical of the league, Outside the Lines has learned.

The expected NFL-NIH breakup would mark an uneasy conclusion to an initiative often billed as the largest single donation in NFL history. In the end, the NIH has signaled its willingness to leave approximately $16 million on the table, a measure of the mistrust that built up following the league’s unsuccessful efforts to rescind funding awarded to a group led by Robert Stern, a Boston University neuroscientist.

A statement released Thursday by the NIH, previous comments from agency officials, and information provided by sources to Outside the Lines all point to the NIH severing its ties to the NFL.

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  Research on 202 former football players found evidence of the brain disease CTE in nearly all of them, from NFL players to high school athletes.

• Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel abruptly announced his retirement from football at age 26, just before the first full-team practice of training camp.

Every footballer on the planet has blemishes – weaknesses in their game they wish didn’t exist. But what if they didn’t? What would the ideal player look like in every position? Plucking specific traits from various superstars, theScore is diving into the lab to build the perfect footballer.

Complete series:

In the fifth installment of our seven-part series, we’re assembling the perfect attacking midfielder: a No. 10 with an eye for a pass, the quickness to cause havoc, and the dribbling ability to create something out of nothing.

Vision: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

No, this isn’t a joke about his eyes. Mesut Ozil’s game is always under the microscope. His slumping shoulders and perceived lack of “fight” – whatever that means – garner unfair criticism from pundits who suggest he doesn’t work hard on the pitch because he isn’t constantly moving at hyper-speed like teammate Alexis Sanchez. In truth, he’s able to operate at a different pace than everyone else, using his superior vision to slow the game down before picking out inch-perfect passes. He’s a dying breed in a modern game that is so heavily built on athleticism and physicality, and it makes him a joy to watch.

Passing: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

Age is just a number. Unlike his hairline, Andres Iniesta’s footballing intellect and ability to thread the needle haven’t withered away over the years. Now 33, the Barcelona icon remains a football genius, running with the ball attached to his foot as if it was on a string, and linking up with his teammates like few others in the game. He was always at the heart of Barca’s tiki-taka identity, and even as the club’s eschewed that style somewhat in recent years, Iniesta has remained a master of the killer pass.

Versatility: Isco (Real Madrid)

Isco was always a supremely talented footballer, but his issue was getting enough playing time at Real Madrid to showcase his deft skills on a consistent basis. Thanks to Gareth Bale’s persistent injury problems last season, he finally got just that, and sparkled down the stretch, playing a massive role in leading Los Blancos to a La Liga-Champions League double. A wizard with the ball at his feet, the Spaniard thrives because of his ability to move seamlessly between attacking positions – slotting in, in theory, on the right wing of Madrid’s 4-3-3 before proceeding to drift inside, shift to the left, and pop up wherever he finds pockets of space.

Dribbling: Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

From striker to chief creator for Juventus’ diminutive Argentine. Paulo Dybala arrived in Turin expected to carry the scoring load, but the signing of Gonzalo Higuain saw the 23-year-old drop into a traditional No. 10 role. Good thing, too, as Dybala blossomed into a playmaking force, using his silky dribbling skills to carve open the opposition and help create openings to either set up a teammate – often his aforementioned compatriot – or curl in a sweet effort of his own. Comparisons to Lionel Messi are unfair, but there is one striking similarity: Despite being so left-foot dependent that defenders know he’s eventually going in that direction, they’re still helpless to stop him.

Quickness: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Nominally a winger, Eden Hazard was given the freedom by Antonio Conte to roam wherever he desired last season, returning to his invigorating best and shredding defenders while leading Chelsea to the Premier League crown. He’s an elite dribbler and is exceedingly strong – his powerful lower half makes him a nightmare to slow down – but it’s always his quickness that awes. Hazard’s change of pace and acceleration are mind-blowing, allowing him to make a quick shimmy before turning on the jets and pulling away from his marker with a couple blistering first steps. He lulls you to sleep, and then he’s gone, whether he’s cutting laterally inside or driving toward the line.

Ambidexterity: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

In playing an attacking midfield role, where holes appear for a second and vanish if you don’t react instantly, being able to maneuver in both directions is crucial. Kevin De Bruyne can do exactly that. Naturally a right-footed player, Manchester City’s Belgian mastermind can easily go left, his unpredictability and two-footedness keeping defenders honest. It’s an enormous advantage in a role where you simply don’t have time to always position your body just right and set up your dominant foot perfectly; being able to use both feet allows De Bruyne to make plays that others can’t because they’re too reliant on getting the ball to their right or left peg.

Shooting: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)

The electric Brazilian would likely benefit from taking his finger off the trigger and continuing to improve his shot selection – he made significant strides in that area last season – but it’s hard to ease up when you know you’re capable of picking the top corner from 25 yards out. Reportedly making Barcelona swoon and Liverpool sweat this summer, Philippe Coutinho is an excellent ball striker who keeps defenders honest by uncorking thunderbolts from outside the penalty area when they back off him.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Richmond, Virginia — Kirk Cousins’ past will help guide him, once again, during a season in which his long-term status remains uncertain.

The Washington Redskins quarterback said that’s not just because he played on a one-year deal last season, but because most of his career has had the same feel: a player always having to prove himself.

“The lesson I learned was the same lesson I learned as a senior in high school when I played my high school senior year with zero scholarship offers,” Cousins said, “and the same thing I learned my senior year of college when I played with wondering if I could go to the NFL.

“If you win football games, everything else takes care of itself, and that’s a beautiful thing. If you do that there is going to be plenty of opportunities down the road. So my focus never really has to change from that standpoint.”

Cousins is one of 12 key starters or backups playing on a one-year deal. But none have garnered headlines like Cousins’s situation. The Redskins used the franchise tag on him for a second season and failed to reach a long-term deal by the July 17 deadline. His future remains murky in Washington, but the same was true last season. He still threw for 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as Washington finished 8-7-1.

Every footballer on the planet has blemishes – weaknesses in their game they wish didn’t exist. But what if they didn’t? What would the ideal player look like in every position? Plucking specific traits from various superstars, theScore is diving into the lab to build the perfect footballer.

Complete series:

In the fourth installment of our seven-part series, we’re assembling the perfect central midfielder. Basically, think Luka Modric on steroids.

Mind: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)

Sergio Busquets isn’t fast. He isn’t particularly strong. He lacks the dynamism typically associated with central midfield superstars. And yet, he’s been the bedrock of Barcelona’s wildly successful spell over the last decade. Anchoring the midfield, the Spaniard acts as both a shield for the backline and a hub that the team’s possession-based system flows through. He’s one of the smartest midfielders in the game, using his brain to consistently outwit superior athletes.

Stamina: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)

N’Golo Kante is the real-life embodiment of the Energizer Bunny. He just never. stops. running. He’s more talented, technically, than some give him credit for, but there’s no denying his greatest attribute is his stamina. The indefatigable Frenchman covers ground like nobody else in the game, his energy never waning and his ability to be in all places at all times defying logic. It’s no coincidence that the last two Premier League champions, Leicester City and Chelsea, were powered by the Kante engine in midfield.

Tackling: Casemiro (Real Madrid)

Casemiro isn’t Real Madrid’s best player – which is nothing to be ashamed about, of course – but he is one of the club’s most vital. The Brazilian tackling machine led all central midfielders in Europe with an incredible 5.4 successful tackles per 90 minutes last season, and provides balance to the ultra-attacking Champions League kingpin. Zinedine Zidane has championed Casemiro since taking over as Madrid manager, a decision that’s paid off handsomely.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Passing: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich) and Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

These two are the ultimate pass masters. It’s impossible to pick between them, so you get both. Deal with it.

Composure: Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Regardless of where he is on the pitch, Marco Verratti is willing to try things that are more commonly seen in a video game. The diminutive Italian superstar is supremely confident in his abilities – which are, in fairness, spectacular. In a position so hectic, where players converge quickly, Verratti’s calm, collected nature with the ball at his feet is vital. A central midfielder simply can’t afford to be rattled by the frenzy around him.

Long-range shooting: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

The most expensive player in history is unfairly targeted by critics who seem to take joy from nitpicking his every move, but despite their efforts to discredit him, Paul Pogba is objectively one of the best midfielders alive. He’s a physical marvel who combines vision and passing ability with a flair for the dramatic, but arguably his greatest strength is his ability to unleash vicious strikes from outside the penalty area. He may get carried away sometimes, sure, but the #Pogboom campaign didn’t come out of nowhere. Look for the Manchester United stud to find the net with regularity this coming season.

Dribbling: Naby Keita (RB Leipzig)

Players who can dribble like Naby Keita don’t usually play central midfield, which is one of the reasons Liverpool’s been told its €75-million bid for his services won’t suffice. Even for a gargantuan fee, RB Leipzig doesn’t want to lose one of the most unique midfielders in the world. Nobody out there can replicate what the Guinean provides.

Decision-making: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

“Decision-making” is, admittedly, something of a cop-out, but Luka Modric does everything at such an elite level that it’s the most fitting catchall for the brilliance of Real Madrid’s focal point. All the preceding players are superstars in their own right with a discernible marquee skill; Modric may not dribble at Keita’s level, tackle at Casemiro’s, or show off tricks and flicks like Pogba, but he can do all of it. He is, simply, the best.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images, unless otherwise stated)