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Over the last several years, player safety has become a prominent topic of concern for the NFL, centered on the increasing number of head injuries suffered. During a recent interview on CNN, Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre stated that the only solution for making football safer is to not play at all.
“Well I think first of all, how do you make the game safer? You don't play. Is that gonna happen?” Favre told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
Favre has much personal experience of the physical rigors that come with playing in the NFL, having played 20 seasons. He dealt with numerous injuries throughout his illustrious career, including a concussion in his final year that ended up being the final blow to his playing days.
The 48-year-old also noted that players are only getting “bigger, stronger, faster,” which only contributes to the likelihood that head injuries will occur. The NFL is a league that thrives on contact on every play, with big hits and tackles being a celebrated part of the game.
The NFL has taken more measures toward addressing this issue over the last few years, implementing a concussion protocol while also increasing the level of padding in helmets to lessen the blow of hits. However, it remains a huge problem, even more so this season as a higher rate of concussions occurred this past season, with the majority occurring in the preseason and practices.
It has become a bleak reality that the NFL has had to deal with, as many of its former players are dealing with various symptoms stemming from head injuries. Many current players hold the belief that they may already have CTE.
Ultimately, it's an issue the NFL will continue to explore in hopes of minimizing the amount head of injuries endured in the league.
