NFL’s Efforts to Address CTE and Player Safety

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The NFL is actively working to ensure safer playing conditions for its participants, focusing primarily on head injuries. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has been significantly associated with former professional football players, leading to discussions on how the condition might impact current and future NFL athletes.

Recent data from a six-year study published in The BMJ reveals concerning results. The research included 878 former NFL player deaths between 2016-2021, ranging from ages 20 to 80. Among these, at least 215 cases involved CTE, indicating a 24.5% prevalence rate. This percentage could be underestimated since 643 of the brains were not analyzed.

If applied to the present NFL, consisting of 1,696 active roster players across 32 teams, approximately 415 might face CTE diagnosis. The degenerative brain disease can only be confirmed by examining the brain post-mortem. CTE results from repeated hits to the head, leading to symptoms like memory loss, mood swings, and erratic behavior.

While initially identified in boxers, CTE has been linked to football due to frequent head impacts during gameplay. Football legends like Junior Seau, Mike Webster, and Frank Gifford were diagnosed with CTE posthumously. Webster’s case, examined by Dr. Bennet Omalu, marked him as ‘Patient Zero’ in the NFL controversy over concussions.

Dr. Julian Bailes, a neurosurgeon and chief medical advisor for Q-30 Sports Science, has extensively studied CTE and concussions. His work, highlighted in the movie ‘Concussion’, emphasizes a need for proactive measures in football safety. Dr. Bailes hailed recent findings as a ‘call to action.’

Advances in concussion management have been made, but the focus must expand to consider repetitive head impacts. Preventing CTE involves minimizing these blows, necessitating ongoing rule and equipment changes throughout all playing levels.

The NFL’s statement to The Athletic illustrates its commitment to player well-being, highlighting the league’s strategies in reducing head impacts and providing resources for players’ physical and mental health. Meanwhile, the NFL Players Association urges comprehensive action within football to address these findings.

During the 2025 NFL season, there were 168 recorded in-game concussions, marking a significant 30% rise from the previous year. Additionally, 538 evaluations and 26 medical timeouts were noted.