Rise in NFL Concussions a “Call to Action”

According to official figures, NFL concussions rose by 16% in 2017. There were 250 reported concussions in 2016, compared with 291 in 2017.

The increase has been described as a result of an increase in reported concussion injuries. In 2017, 47 percent of concussions involved a player addressing symptoms with a medical official, the highest percentage on record.

However, an NFL doctor has called on the league to do more.

Dr. Allen Sills, at the Head, Neck and Spine committee, said they will act aggressively on the NFL concussions data.

“It’s not OK,” Sills said, “to simply stand behind that and say, ‘Well, the numbers are going up because we’re doing a better job.’ I think to me this is really a call to action to see what we can do to drive it down.”

The meeting of the Head, Neck and Spine committee outlined three goals looking forward:

• Increasing the use of what the NFL considers safer helmets;
• Decreasing preseason concussions by pointing out warning signs to individual teams;
• Work with football operations on style of play.

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In 2017, 9 percent of NFL players were diagnosed with concussions. This equals 0.7 concussions per game and nine per team. The number of concussion injuries rose by 73% during training camp – before and after preseason. Most of these injuries were sustained during in “scrimmages” in practice, according to the NFL.

NFL Players Association’s medical director Dr. Thom Mayer also spoke, and promoted education as a way to prevent NFL concussions.

“With 291 concussions. If we’re going to take a progressive strategy toward reducing or eliminating the maximum number of concussions we have, I think it’s imperative, and I think we’re long past having coaches educated as to how these concussions occur. Not only the head coaches but also the position coaches. I think we have to get down to that level for them to understand precisely how these concussions occur.

“I get that there are 80 guys flying around trying to make the 53[-man roster], but I think we also owe to ourselves and to our players to take an aggressive education program to those coaches and assistant coaches.”