NFL Concussion Numbers Up Significantly in 2015

[26CornerBlitz]

@AP_NFL

Details on NFL's report that concussions were way up in 2015: http://apne.ws/1SpNWnj

 

NFL report says number of diagnosed concussions increased in 2015

The NFL released a report that revealed how many concussions were diagnosed in each of the past four seasons.

 

Edited January 30, 2016 by 26CornerBlitz

[boyst]

fixed this for accuracy, being it just felt slimy as it was. i do not know how anyone would believe that it was just simply more concussions.

@AP_NFL

Details on NFL's report that REPORTED concussions were way up in 2015: http://apne.ws/1SpNWn

 

Probably something to do with "CTE" and that Will Smith movie.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Boyst62

[DC Tom]

fixed this for accuracy, being it just felt slimy as it was. i do not know how anyone would believe that it was just simply more concussions.

Probably something to do with "CTE" and that Will Smith movie.

 

Probably had more to do with having a rule in place that players had to be taken off the field and evaluated after impacts to the head.

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Probably had more to do with having a rule in place that players had to be taken off the field and evaluated after impacts to the head.

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

 

Imagine that!

[vincec]

Need to ban all blows to the head, by any player at any time to anyone. All illegal.

 

Only then will concussion problem be solved.

[boyst]

 

Probably had more to do with having a rule in place that players had to be taken off the field and evaluated after impacts to the head.

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

i'm still saying that if smith wasn't so good at acting in the movie the nfl would not care so much. i mean, if this was kevin costner in the role or maybe Randy Quiad we'd have never heard about it.

[Captain_Quint]

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

Ha!!!

[EmotionallyUnstable]

But the NFL is focused on improving player safety, so it's okay.

[atlbillsfan1975]

Yep, you guys nailed it. I wonder if numbers are actually down for concussions in general? Think about 30 years ago when players where becoming bigger stronger faster yet equipment was trying to catch up. There was very few rules to protect head to head contact.

[jimmy10]

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

QFT.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Need to ban all blows to the head, by any player at any time to anyone. All illegal.

 

Only then will concussion problem be solved.

If that was controllable, they probably wouldn't need helmets.

[vincec]

If that was controllable, they probably wouldn't need helmets.

It is controllable. See rugby or Australian rules football for an example of how.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

It is controllable. See rugby or Australian rules football for an example of how.

Ok...

http://www.brain-injury-law-center.com/latest-news/head-injuries-rugby-vs-football/

[Big Turk]

fixed this for accuracy, being it just felt slimy as it was. i do not know how anyone would believe that it was just simply more concussions.

Probably something to do with "CTE" and that Will Smith movie.

Exactly. They have doctors assigned now who report to the NFL and are not part of the team, and if they say the player needs to be tested, they are tested and if there is any doubt, that player does not return to play in the game. So obviously these numbers will be much higher than relying on teams that have a vested interest in getting a player back on the field.

 

Nothing to see here. Move along.

[boyst]

Exactly. They have doctors assigned now who report to the NFL and are not part of the team, and if they say the player needs to be tested, they are tested and if there is any doubt, that player does not return to play in the game. So obviously these numbers will be much higher than relying on teams that have a vested interest in getting a player back on the field.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

players are just as vested in returning to the field, probably more than the team

[vincec]

Ok...

http://www.brain-injury-law-center.com/latest-news/head-injuries-rugby-vs-football/

Interesting. Although:

• Way, way more people play rugby than american football world wide, so comparing the total number of injuries is bogus. There are some 7 millions adults playing rugby in leagues all over the world. They need to compare the rate of injury.
• Rugby players don't wear any head protection to speak of.
• "Head injuries" and concussions are two different things. I can see quite a few head injuries that are not concussions to people not wearing helmets, like cuts, broken noses, black eyes, etc.
• The NFL has been chronically underreporting the rate of concussions, as the article states.

Edited January 30, 2016 by vincec

[26CornerBlitz]

@AP_NFL

39/100 NFL players we asked say they're more worried about head injuries than other types. http://apne.ws/1SkB1og

 

[DriveFor1Outta5]

i'm still saying that if smith wasn't so good at acting in the movie the nfl would not care so much. i mean, if this was kevin costner in the role or maybe Randy Quiad we'd have never heard about it.

I feel like Will Smith's role would have gone to Dennis Quiad. I can definitely see Randy Quiad playing Roger Godell though.

[boyst]

I would be curious to hear the answer to this:

 

Do you think NFL players have more pressure to play put upon them by themselves or by the team?

 

I would bet most players would admit they would rather get in at their own expense before having the team pressure them.

[machine gun kelly]

i just watched the movie yesterday. I admit I was moved by the story. Intellectually, nothing surprised me about the story, but emotionally it was tough to see those guys and their situations post football.

 

I couldn't help thinking about Talley, and others. I also was even more enraged at Burfect's hit in the playoffs. I know there is no way to completely get rid of collisions to the head as it will happen by accident, but intentionally going for the head is so reprehensible.

 

Lastly, I am glad there is a concerted effort to teach heads up football, and the NFL is finally at least trying with players. I realize it was self serving as it is to protect from liability.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Interestingly, the number of players retiring before age 30 has also gone up every year for the past five. Guess the players have figured It out too.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

I still remember Fred Jackson literally knocked out twice in the same game by Brandon Spikes and Jackson never missed a snap.

 

I'm sure he had a concussion.

Interestingly, the number of players retiring before age 30 has also gone up every year for the past five. Guess the players have figured It out too.

Your average NFL player today could have have a few million put away by the time they are 25. I would find it tough to keep playing if my body was hurting and I already made a lifetime of money playing a game. Edited February 1, 2016 by TheTruthHurts

[26CornerBlitz]

2015 Injury Data PDF: https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/NFL%202015%20Injury%20Data.pdf

[Big Turk]

Interestingly, the number of players retiring before age 30 has also gone up every year for the past five. Guess the players have figured It out too.

 

Yeah for 2 reasons.

 

1) The new information coming out allows them to properly weigh the pros and cons of continuing to play

2) They make so much more money now per year they can easily retire and be set for life if they even manage their money smartly for 2 or 3 years...

[boater]

"NFL report says number of diagnosed concussions increased in 2015" ...diagnosed being the keyword.

 

I don't believe concussions are going up. I believe they are being detected and addressed, whereas in the past they were ignored.

 

I hope more research goes into CTE. It seems like something that could be diagnosed and treated.

 

 

[machine gun kelly]

I'd agree, they are being detected and the rules are taken seriously now finally to help these guys. If they are good, their money comes in the second contract. If they aren't a first round pick, they won't make enough after taxes, agent fees etc. to be retired the rest of their life. I get why guys like Calvin Johnson after only 9 years said enough publicly yesterday.

 

Why? He's worth over $100 mil, and had a fantastic career. The guys you worry about are the lineman. The Center and Guards are so close to the defensive players their helmets no matter how much they try will collide over an over again in a game.

 

I don't any of these guys who retire young. Even the San Fran guy who had to give back half of his contract. Seems like a smart guy.

[GaryPinC]

fixed this for accuracy, being it just felt slimy as it was. i do not know how anyone would believe that it was just simply more concussions.

Probably something to do with "CTE" and that Will Smith movie.

Maybe. But the total number in 2015 is very comparable to 2012, the first year official records were kept. So IMO you can't rule out it was just simply more concussions than the previous 2 years. Even before the movie the truth is out, the NFL can't hide from it any longer so I have to believe they will take every preventative step possible based on current research or be found liable. We do need a good 6 years more data to have a decent baseline establishing normal variability of occurences.

 

This is all still evolving. Concussion protocol requires reporting of any positive diagnosis. http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/lyris/pdfs/NFL_Diagnosis_Mgmt_Concussion.pdf

[boyst]

Maybe. But the total number in 2015 is very comparable to 2012, the first year official records were kept. So IMO you can't rule out it was just simply more concussions than the previous 2 years. Even before the movie the truth is out, the NFL can't hide from it any longer so I have to believe they will take every preventative step possible based on current research or be found liable. We do need a good 6 years more data to have a decent baseline establishing normal variability of occurences.

 

This is all still evolving. Concussion protocol requires reporting of any positive diagnosis. http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/lyris/pdfs/NFL_Diagnosis_Mgmt_Concussion.pdf

what's the truth? That banging your head isn't good for you?

That makes sense but is it the cause of CTE? It is inconclusive at best right now.

It makes for a good story of conspiracy against the big bad NFL shield. But the truth is that it seems far more likely that players pushed themselves to play must as much or more than the team. The argument made that they wanted to get paid and had contracts dependent upon playing time, etc doesn't hold weight.

[hondo in seattle]

 

Probably had more to do with having a rule in place that players had to be taken off the field and evaluated after impacts to the head.

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

 

There's an old saying in India, "When a pickpocket walks down the street, all he sees are pockets."

[Beerball]

 

"Breaking News: NFL Discovers That You Find More of Something When You Start Looking For It."

Yes

[GaryPinC]

what's the truth? That banging your head isn't good for you?

That makes sense but is it the cause of CTE? It is inconclusive at best right now.

It makes for a good story of conspiracy against the big bad NFL shield. But the truth is that it seems far more likely that players pushed themselves to play must as much or more than the team. The argument made that they wanted to get paid and had contracts dependent upon playing time, etc doesn't hold weight.

I agree with everything you're saying here, especially that players pushed themselves to play through it as much or more than the team.

 

But I would honestly say it's inconclusive at WORST right now. From what I can gather, the biggest concern WRT CTE is sustaining an additional concussion(s) before the original effects have healed completely. And having this scenario play out multiple times. The sub-concussive assertions are still highly speculative IMO since concussions were poorly defined and reported until now.

 

The truth is that this is a new and rapidly evolving area of research. And that's because what constitutes a concussion was never clearly defined until now and more importantly, the need to assess and let even the mild ones heal was never widely done until now. So in 20 years or so, we might be able to see if the new treatment protocols have a positive effect on CTE.

 

WRT the NFL, I don't believe in some evil conspiracy, just that the league mostly ignored and was unsupportive of the research until enough of it was gathered and a critical mass obtained. Why would they support early efforts? It didn't make any business sense to do so. But now it does and they will take every precaution they can.

 

I do believe susceptibility to concussions and CTE is variable, but it's been clearly defined in a subset of NFL players and I have no doubt rugby and Aussie football will be following suit. Until studies against the general population can be done and we get a better handle on avoiding CTE, extra caution is a good thing.

[Punching Bag]

In MMQB there is a section on concussions. I really wish tags would be used in articles so you could jump to a section.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/02/01/nfl-super-bowl-50-john-elway-broncos-gm-father-jack-elway

 

 

 

“My belief,” Ellenbogen said on Saturday, “is that this is not necessarily an increase in concussions suffered during games. We’ll see in the coming years if that’s true. I think overall we have lowered the threshold for diagnosis. We are much more erring on the side of caution. I was waiting for the culture change to hit, and I sense it is hitting the game right now. … The medical timeout that has been instituted also is a factor, I think. Plus, this year I have sensed more teamwork between the team physician on the sideline and the UNC. Overall, I think this is all good.”

 

This is my impression as well but I will add there are some players, protected by NFLPA, who seem to violate the rules on head shots and that if they would enforce the rules and start suspending players for these hits the number of concussions would go down.

[CommonCents]

Boston University just released a report detailing CTE being found after testing Kenny Stabler's brain. That's a high profile case to add to the ever growing list.

[Mr. WEO]

Interestingly, the number of players retiring before age 30 has also gone up every year for the past five. Guess the players have figured It out too.

 

I believe only Borland cited concussion worries as the reason he quit.

 

Boston University just released a report detailing CTE being found after testing Kenny Stabler's brain. That's a high profile case to add to the ever growing list.

 

 

Every player will have CTE on autopsy.

[dave mcbride]

Stage 3 CTE for the Snake. I think anyone with half a brain, not in denial, and not a shill for the league knows that football played a role in the degeneration: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/sports/football/ken-stabler-nfl-cte-brain-disease.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[QuoteTheRaven83]

Best way to solve this is to get rid of helmets. Force players to tackle properly and not use their head as a weapon.

[Mr. WEO]

Stage 3 CTE for the Snake. I think anyone with half a brain, not in denial, and not a shill for the league knows that football played a role in the degeneration: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/sports/football/ken-stabler-nfl-cte-brain-disease.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

There's no question it plays a role in the path findings at autopsy. The question is why so many players do not suffer from cognitive impairment if CTE is going to be found in every NFL player's brain. Snake had no such impairment (even the pathologist acknowledges this) and he died of advanced colon cancer (a preventable disease).

 

Interestingly, his daughter still has her kids playing despite all this.

[machine gun kelly]

It just goes against common sense to think repeated concussions would not cause brain damage. Unfortunately, I've had a few in my life, and contrary to what my kids think, I do not have brain damage. They can be so debilitating though. Vomiting, sensitivity to light, repeated pain, and so on. To anyone who has not had one, you don't want it.

 

I worry for guys like Karlos Williams who had such a bad one that he couldn't play for three weeks. This is not hype. Stating everyone who ever played has CTE is an over statement. Smart guys like Brady who evades the hit with skill can evade CTE.

 

The postives from this information is the dramatic changes made in the NFL that is permeating down into the pop warner ages.

[Mr. WEO]

It just goes against common sense to think repeated concussions would not cause brain damage. Unfortunately, I've had a few in my life, and contrary to what my kids think, I do not have brain damage. They can be so debilitating though. Vomiting, sensitivity to light, repeated pain, and so on. To anyone who has not had one, you don't want it.

 

I worry for guys like Karlos Williams who had such a bad one that he couldn't play for three weeks. This is not hype. Stating everyone who ever played has CTE is an over statement. Smart guys like Brady who evades the hit with skill can evade CTE.

 

The postives from this information is the dramatic changes made in the NFL that is permeating down into the pop warner ages.

 

Brady got hit 18 times in his last game alone--he is the least mobile QB in the league. Since when is he "evading CTE"?

 

In the playoffs we saw a ton of helmet to helmet hits. There are no "dramatic changes" in the NFL regarding head injuries. The concussion protocol is after the fact window dressing. These guys are playing as though none of this has ever been known or like they don't really care about it.

[GaryPinC]

Best way to solve this is to get rid of helmets. Force players to tackle properly and not use their head as a weapon.

There's no proof that's going to solve anything and the growing awareness of CTE in rugby and Aussie football hints that it won't.

 

There's no question it plays a role in the path findings at autopsy. The question is why so many players do not suffer from cognitive impairment if CTE is going to be found in every NFL player's brain. Snake had no such impairment (even the pathologist acknowledges this) and he died of advanced colon cancer (a preventable disease).

 

Interestingly, his daughter still has her kids playing despite all this.

I read an article about Snake's condition and he was showing signs of it at least the last few years, according to his girlfriend. Just didn't get a lot of press. There's no proof CTE is going to be found in every player's brain. Preliminary diagnosis while living is based on cognitive/neurological deficits/disorders. Personally, I suspect some are more vulnerable than others.