The NFL has stated that reported concussions rose 58 percent in regular-season games this past year, and 182 reported concussions is the highest number it has been in any of the past four seasons. The NFL has announced that the total of diagnosed concussions that occurred during the 2015 season rose by nearly 32 percent, according to data released by the league on Friday, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
The league released the increase in numbers, as their were 206 total concussions during the 2014 season and 271 total concussions during the past season. Helmet-to-helmet concussions also saw an increase, as they went from 58 in 2014 to 92 in 2015, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
The NFL's senior vice president of health and safety policy, Jeff Miller, has stated that the league will conduct a study as to why there was such an increase in head injuries during the 2015 season. Miller explained potential reasons for the rise in the NFL concussions totals, mentioning the doubling of numbers in players screened with a concussion this season, and the "unprecedented levels of players reporting signs and signals of concussions," and also the addition of trainers who work as spotters or independent neurologists on the sideline to identify this specific injury and make sure that a player is properly diagnosed, according to Seifert.
NFL players are also taking head injuries more seriously with the amount of information that has been released in the past couple years regarding the future issues that come from repeated head trauma. Detroit Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis is a prime example of that, as he is currently contemplating retirement after finally being diagnosed with a concussion after waiting a week for a proper diagnosis.
Concussions are clearly still a major issue for the league, and NFL Players association president Eric Winston was vocal about the NFL punishing the St. Louis Rams in their mishandling of Case Keenums' concussion earlier this season. Players in the NFL are concerned about their health, and with studies being released that prove the strong connection between NFL football and brain disease, it has become a major topic of concern both for the league and its players.
"I see coaches report players and pull them out of the game. I see players report themselves. I see players report each other," said Richard Ellenbogen, co-chairman of the NFL's head, neck and spine committee, via ESPN. "Clearly, we've lower the threshold for diagnosing concussions, for pulling players out and evaluating them."
The NFL has tried to change the game by fining players for helmet-to-helmet hits and adding new rules on hitting a defenseless players, but the physicality of the sport remains a part of football. The rise of concussions is a serious issue for the league, as the severity of these head injuries has been well documented with former retired NFL players and those who suffer from.chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.).
