The National Football League is pledging $100 million to concussion-related initiatives to take the league’s player safety to the next level.
Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports the NFL will devote $60 million to technological development and another $40 million towards funding medical research in neuroscience related to concussions. The league devoting resources to concussion-related research is welcome, but it comes after reaching a $1 billion settlement with former players who sued over long-term head injuries. Commissioner Roger Goodell is appropriately allocating necessary money to concussion-related research, but the pledge is a response to preventing future lawsuits just as much as it’s been made to help.
Goodell said the funds were all about building on research from the last few years.
“[The pledge] builds on what we’ve done the last few years but it takes it to another level in a variety of areas. … It’s all about protecting our players. … We’ve seen some very positive things. But we’re not satisfied. We’re not comfortable. There are still things for us to do to make our game safer for our players and make it better for our players, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Admittedly, it’s easy to be cynical towards Goodell about his true intentions. There’s little doubt he wants to see less traumatic brain injuries in the NFL but the donation was made with future lawsuits in mind. It’s great to see the league take steps to enhance concussion-related research but Goodell should have been proactive year’s ago. At least, the NFL is showing it finally cares about player safety.
