Concussions And Concussions On Concussions

In the 2015 NFL season, there were a total of 271 concussions, a record high number in the NFL. This is thirty-two percent higher than the NFL had seen in the previous year, having 206 reported concussions (keep in mind these are only the amount the NFL has reported, not the total number). With the increasing awareness of the severity of concussions, the NFL has increased the amount of screenings and education on concussions. This may be one explanation for the rise in reported concussions as players are recognizing more concussions in themselves and in other players. Former NFL players are reporting brain diseases that are formed from concussions and repeated head trauma. Regardless, the NFL has made changes to recognize more concussions, but have done little to actually prevent concussions and repeated head trauma in the first place. Head trauma and concussions can lead to brain injuries such as CTE, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease in the long run. In 2015, over 5,000 former NFL players filed over 200 concussion lawsuits, which they won. These law suits are to provide former NFL players with aid for concussion related diseases that may form due to the concussions they received while playing in the NFL. The NFL agrees to pay 900 million dollars over the span of the next 65 years to help players developing these diseases. That’s about 13.8 million dollars a year, which is mere pocket change when compared to the NFL’s 7.3 billion dollar annual revenue. The most common of these diseases found in former NFL players is CTE, short for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This disease is typically found in athletes with repetitive brain trauma, even from sub concussive hits. The disease will eventually lead to a build up of protein in t... ... middle of paper ... ...changes to help prevent them, such as changing rules or putting money into helmet development and research. What are they waiting for? Perhaps for more NFL players to die of concussion and head trauma related illnesses? Are they waiting for it to become a larger problem so the media has all eyes on them and the pressure is on to make a change? Regardless, the NFL has the means to make progress, but has yet to take action. With the annual 7.3 billion dollars in revenue, much more of that could be invested in helmet technology research. We all know football is a violent game. Concussions happen, and so does head trauma on the line, but it doesn’t mean we can’t invest more of our time and money to try to prevent them. Concussions and other brain trauma are serious issues that need to be tended to because the longer the wait, the more issues we are going to see develop.