The National Football League (NFL) has recorded its lowest number of concussions since it began tracking the data in 2015. In 2024, the NFL reported a total of 182 concussions, marking a 17% decrease from the previous year. This significant drop follows various measures implemented by the league to enhance player safety.
The previous low was recorded in 2022 with 187 concussions, excluding the atypical 2020 season. A noteworthy factor in this decline is the newly designed kickoff, which led to a 43% reduction in concussion rates. Despite this improvement, the total number of concussions on kickoffs remained unchanged from 2023, with eight incidents recorded each year. The revised kickoff rule also contributed to a decrease in overall injury rates for the play, aligning them with other scrimmage plays.
In an effort to improve safety, 35% of players upgraded their helmet quality in 2024, guided by the annual rankings published by the NFL and NFL Players Association. The typical concussion rate ranges between 14% and 17%. The league has introduced a new data point to measure the impact of plays involving helmet contact where players are traveling at speeds of at least 15 miles per hour.
The NFL began mandating the use of Guardian Caps for certain positions during practice in 2022 and expanded the requirement to include all positions except quarterbacks and specialists in 2023. The league attributed a 50% reduction in concussions to players wearing Guardian Caps during the specified periods. Approximately one-third of eligible players wore helmets specifically designed for their positions, and some helmet models performed so well in NFL/NFLPA testing that users were exempt from the Guardian Cap mandate. Despite not being mandatory during games, about 20 players opted to wear Guardian Caps during regular-season matches.
"We're very pleased with the concussion numbers but not at all suggesting that the work is done,"
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer.
In addition to equipment improvements, league officials reviewed game footage and issued fines or warnings to roughly 30 players for non-compliance with safety regulations. Dr. Allen Sills emphasized the effectiveness of Guardian Caps combined with optional helmets, noting their role in reducing concussions during preseason practices.
"I think we can say with a high degree of confidence that the use of Guardian Caps plus the Guardian Cap-optional helmets, has certainly provided a sustained reduction in the number of concussions that we're seeing in that preseason practice environment,"
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer.
Leave a Reply