The NYPost reports that at least 3 Wall Street firms - Cowen & Co., Cantor Fitzgerald, and Jefferies – have reportedly been quietly involved – directly or indirectly - with purchases of a small number of claims filed by former NFL players under the league’s $1 billion concussion settlement fund.

Cowen bought an unknown number of claims directly from players, though none in at least the past 6 months. Jefferies and Cantor Fitzgerald have denied that their desks made any purchases, though each appears to have been exploring the issuance of loans to companies that are looking to buy settlement claims – like Crunch Cash, Prime Cash Funding, and MultifundingUSA dot com.

Settlement claims, which can range up to $1 million or more and can be purchased for as low as 50 cents on the dollar, give buyers the right to receive the full amount of the settlement whenever it comes through.

That said, there’s a stigma attached to dealing in these settlements, and the prospects of bad PR may be enough to dissuade other Wall Street firms from joining the fray.