Does the NFL Need to Do More About Head Injuries?

NFL players are at major risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), with WSN calculating the risk doubling for every 2.6 years of playing football. The neurodegenerative disease is caused by repeated collisions to the head, something which NFL players suffer constantly.

CTE can result in symptoms such as altered personality, memory loss, and violent mood swings, but can only be diagnosed fully after death. Although the league has introduced new measures, including changes to helmets and less aggressive kick-offs, is it enough?

Does the NFL Have a Problem with Head Injuries? 

Anyone who watches the NFL will know that injuries are part of the sport. With each game averaging 60 collisions with the force equivalent to a car crash at 20 to 30 mph, injuries can be serious and include head injuries like concussions. 

We looked at each team’s individual injury list and calculated that there were a total of 286 head injuries sustained throughout the 2024 season and 179 in the 2025 season. Repeated head injuries, including concussions, are the cause of CTE, resulting in NFL players having a much higher instance of the disease than the general public. 

How Common Is CTE in American Football? 

A third of former NFL players surveyed by Harvard University believed they displayed signs of suffering from CTE. Of the 1,980 surveyed, 230 reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, and 176 reported suffering from some form of dementia. All of these symptoms are associated with CTE, which is often misdiagnosed as dementia or Alzheimer's during life, as it can only be confirmed through autopsy.  

There have been over 345 former NFL players diagnosed with CTE after their deaths, but that number is expected to be much higher in reality, given that autopsy findings aren’t always published. Experts believe it to be closer to the numbers produced by the Boston University CTE Center study, which found that 92% of former players had CTE.  

Research has found that as few as 2,000 subconcussive (smaller hits to the head) injuries over a career are enough to greatly increase the risk of CTE. With a football player estimated to receive between 12,000 and 14,400 hits before they even reach the NFL level, and another 2,000 hits per season, all players have an increased risk. 

NFL Finally Acknowledges Connection

One thing that slowed down the understanding and prevention of CTE in the NFL is the organization’s hesitance to acknowledge the link. It wasn’t until 2016 that the NFL acknowledged a connection between CTE and football. 

That followed high-profile deaths associated with CTE, such as Dave Duerson, the former safety for the Chicago Bears, who shot himself in the chest in 2011. The following year, the former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau died due to similar circumstances. Both of their brains showed signs of CTE. 

Since then, the NFL has gone on to pay $1.2 billion in compensation to the families of players found to have suffered from any diseases related to concussions. 

Which Teams Face the Most Head Injuries?

We took our research further to examine the rate of head injuries amongst each team throughout the season. 

Of course, those who make it to the Playoffs and further play more games than their counterparts. We’ve factored that in through our average number of head injuries per game.

The teams with the most injuries per games played in the 2024 season: 

1. Browns – 22 head injuries, 1.29 per game.

2. Eagles – 21 head injuries, 1 per game. 

3. Buccaneers – 18 head injuries, 1 per game.

4. Falcons – 17 head injuries, 1 per game. 

5. Bears – 17 head injuries, 1 per game. 

6. Panthers – 13 head injuries, 0.76 per game. 

The teams with the most injuries per game played in the 2025 season: 

1. Vikings – 13 head injuries, 0.76 per game. 

2. Jets – 11 head injuries, 0.65 per game. 

3. Giants – 11 head injuries, 0.65 per game. 

4. Browns – 10 head injuries, 0.59 per game.

Is Enough Being Done to Prevent Head Injuries? 

As we can see through our study of the instances of head injuries in the NFL, they remain a serious problem in football. After every season, the Competition Committee reviews injury data and videos of play to see how injuries occur. They then use their findings to make recommendations to improve safety. 

Recent Rule Changes 

One recent change we’ve seen to prevent head injuries is the ‘Use of the Helmet’ rule. It means that if a player lowers their head to make contact with an opponent using only their helmet, it’s a foul. The change followed findings which suggested that there was an increased risk for head injuries when a player lowered their head to use their helmet to initiate contact. 

There’s also been changes to kick-offs, which are just 6% of play but represent 12% of concussions. In 2024, the NFL adopted the ‘Dynamic Kickoff’ rule, which reduced the speed and distance of collisions by requiring ten of the kicking team’s players to line up at the receiver’s 40-yard line. Similar changes were made in 2018, including preventing the two-man wedge and limiting running starts. 

Improved Equipment 

The equipment used in the NFL is constantly evolving to improve safety, and helmets are the most notable example of that. When the league started in the 1920s, hard leather helmets were used, but they weren’t required, and not all players wore them. It wasn’t until 1943 that the NFL actually made wearing helmets mandatory. 

Today, helmets are made up of a polycarbonate shell and state-of-the-art padding, which absorbs the force of impact while protecting the head. They’re even tailored to different positions to ensure they can deliver maximum safety for each player. 

Have Changes Made a Difference? 

There can be no doubt that safety has come on leaps and bounds since the early days of the NFL. Even between recent seasons, we can see the impact of the introduction of new rules and safety features. There was a notable decrease of almost one hundred injuries (286 down to 179) between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. 

While these changes have helped to reduce severe injuries, especially concussions, it’s important to remember that CTE is caused by consistent small collisions. On top of that, rule changes are often limited to pro level, so college athletes continue with riskier kick-offs. It’s these years of repeated small impacts that actually cause CTE. 

How Can We Help Lower CTE Rates in Football? 

Although instances of concussion might be decreasing, the continued collisions that are behind CTE continue. Experts believe that standardising the protocol around returning from a head injury could help. 

Despite the average male brain needing 25 days to recover from a concussion, NFL players return in an average of just nine days. In boxing, any player knocked out by a hit to the head is prevented from returning to the sport for 60 days, and in Aussie Rules, a 12 to 21-day recovery period is mandatory. Experts suggest that a set recovery period is needed to help football players stay safe and prevent further head injuries. 

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive solution to prevent CTE in the NFL, aside from not playing. However, head injuries being taken much more seriously, with updated rest periods and continued improvements in equipment and rules, would certainly help.