The number of concussions in the NFL has risen dramatically. As a result, many football players have suffered or even died while in their pro football careers. I’m tired of seeing all my favorite players get concussions that end their seasons. The league needs to decide what helmet the players wear, not the players. This will decrease the number of concussions and keep our stars on the field where they belong..
Players need to be protected from themselves. The players need to be more cautious about the decisions they make when they are on the field. If they just got a concussion, players shouldn’t lower their head when making contact. Former NFL running back Merrill Hoge of the Pittsburgh Steelers had many head injuries. In an interview at the tail end of his career he stated, “In sports, I think we all take chances. It’s about risks and sometimes that makes it a little more challenging. I’ve had times in the past year and a half where I almost look back at my situation and say, ‘maybe I just jumped the gun. Maybe I should’ve stayed out a year and re-evaluated my situation then.’” Players don’t re-evaluate their situations, a large part of the reason they get concussions.
In the process of selecting a helmet, safety needs to be first priority. Most players focus more on the look of the helmet rather the safety of it. The players need to realize that the best looking helmet is not always the safest helmet. Helmets such as the Riddell Revolution, the Revolution Speed, and the Schutt DNA Pro are top performers in protecting against collisions believed to be linked to concussions in the NFL.
If the league makes changes now, they will protect themselves from further lawsuits. Former players’ families such as Junior Seau are suing the NFL for the concussions that Seau suffered during his career. He later committed suicide because of brain damage. More than 2,000 former players are suing the NFL over head injuries claiming that they weren’t told about the long-term damaging effects of concussions.
As you can see, the league should decide what helmet the players wear. It will protect the players from injury. The safety of the helmet needs to be first priority. By changing these things, the league will protect themselves from further lawsuits. The league recognizes the problem, they just need to solve it.