Concussions were slightly down in the NFL this season, according to injury data the league released on Thursday, but still 18 percent higher than just two seasons ago.
Players suffered a total of 244 concussions this season, down 11 percent from a year ago (275) but still higher than the reported numbers from 2014 (206) and 2013 (229). League officials attribute that difference to awareness and the increased likelihood that players will self-report the injury.
“Players are more likely to speak up if they believe they have a concussion,” said the Carolina Panthers’ team doctor, Dr. Robert Heyer, the president of the NFL Physicians Society.
The number of concussions experienced in regular season games fell nearly nine percent, from 183 in 2015 to 167 this season. League officials were especially pleased to see only 71 reported concussions in the preseason, a five-year low for the NFL.
Before the 2015 preseason, league health and safety officials made a push with teams to better monitor head injuries and educate players during training camp.
“Those discussions led to a significant decrease – over 30 percent – between 2014 and 2015 and that number has stabilized in 2016, with a decrease of three percent,” said Dr. John York, co-owner of the 49ers and chair of the NFL Owners’ Health and Safety Advisory Committee. “So we’re happy with those results. [They] show that clubs do listen and are very interested in the number of concussions with their players, and we can have an effect on the culture in the National Football League.”
The league conceded on Wednesday that the Dolphins did not properly follow concussion protocol after quarterback Matt Moore took a brutal hit to the chin in a playoff game earlier this month against the Steelers. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of health and safety, said that the league has more medical experts and precautions in place than ever before to make sure concussions are identified and treated properly during games. He said it’s vital that the teams “get it right 100 percent of the time.”
“It is important to say too that we are quite pleased with how these programs are working,” he added. “This enforcement protocol is important to make sure everyone stays in line with the enforcement that’s being done.”
League officials said they’ll continue combing through the data to identify any trends that might impact education efforts or future rules changes.
“Our work with the league regarding concussions and education is not done,” Heyer said. “But I know what we are doing is making a difference. And we must and will continue to do more.”
The league changed its kickoff rules again this year, allowing offenses to take possession at the 25-yard line following a touchback. The result was an increase in touchbacks by two percent, according to league figures, and a corresponding decrease in returns by two percent.
Injuries did not significantly change, however. Concussions on kickoffs fell from 20 to 17, hamstring tears were slightly up from 11 to 13 and ACL and MCL tears were up from four to nine, according to the league’s data.
(c) 2017, The Washington Post ยท Rick Maese
