The 2015 NFL season saw the number of diagnosed concussions reach an a four-year high of 271.
The number of concussions diagnosed span from the preseason practices and games through the regular season. As broken down by Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, 29 concussions were diagnosed in the preseason practices, 52 in the preseason games, eight in regular season practices, and 182 in the regular season. Concussions diagnosed in the postseason have not been included in the total. Head-to-head contact continues to be the most common cause for concussions among NFL players.
From PFT;
The league says that most of the concussions suffered last year — 92 of 182 — were caused by helmet-to-helmet hits. There were 29 concussions caused by a helmet hitting the playing surface, 23 caused by shoulder-to-helmet hits and 12 caused by knee-to-helmet hits.
What should be noted is this does not necessarily mean there were more or fewer concussions than the previous season or seasons. This is purely indicating the number of concussions identified have reached a new high, which hopefully is a suggestion the ability to recognize concussions is improving throughout the National Football League. The NFL has been battling the concussion issue for a while, and the situation has heated up in more recent years as both the science and awareness have advanced and the long-term effects of CTE have been put into a wider lens for assessment.
Per PFT, twice as many players were evaluated for concussions in the 2015 season compared to the previous season. This is a good sign of where the league is heading with regard to head trauma.
There is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to addressing head trauma, from improving the medical awareness and treatment to finding ways to making the game safer without losing what makes football, football. Technology upgrades will also improve the safety of the players.
Concussions will always remain a serious concern in the football world, but it does seem the NFL is making some progress in addressing it.
