Over the last few years, the NFL has had its fair share of problems with concussions, especially with some former players issuing lawsuits against the league. There is some good news for the NFL though. According to ESPN, the NFL announced that concussions decreased by 23.8% this past season, going from 281 concussions in 2017, to 214 in 2018.
"We are pleased with the progress," said Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president for health and safety initiatives, according to ESPN. "It was obviously an advance for the health and safety of our players to see fewer concussions. But it is simply one step in our longer effort to continue to drive down concussion rates."
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The NFL's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said the league has been reaching out to teams that have reported a higher amount of concussions at training camp. These teams were offered data and information on how to limit concussions, with Sills saying that this information has allowed a real change to be made.
"We are excited and grateful for the changes that we've seen," Sills said, "and we feel like this decrease is not a random variance but a reflection that the data-driven approach has made an impact. But this is not a one-year project. It's an ongoing commitment on our part to drive down injuries, not only concussions but also other parts of the body."
According to ESPN, 538 concussion screening tests were conducted this season, with 214 being diagnosed as actual concussions.
