The impact of football on the National Football League's players has become a hot topic of discussion, and it has cost former NFL players their lives. One of the main proponents of the risks associated with the sport now is the discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (Cantu). This recent discovery has brought into question whether having a long career or playing football in general is worth the risk. What has caused the players and fans questioning the game is the amount of knowledge the entire world has acquired over the last few years. Because of this increase in knowledge the NFL needs to make a change in the game in order to protect the players that risk their bodies every time they step on the field.

To understand the risk that the NFL players endure while playing football people need to first understand the injury link between a concussion and CTE. A concussion, by definition, is a "mild traumatic brain injury." The injury has really only been researched with concentration since the 1980s (Kilburn). The concussion injury has turned into somewhat of an epidemic in the NFL recently. People before recent studies determined what a concussion was originally believed it was a minor injury. They believed it a player just got his "bell rung," and they would be able to return to the game in a few plays. That was not only a belief, but an expectation of the players because they are supposed to embody toughness all the time. So, they were under constant pressure to shrug it off as making it seem like it was not a big deal.

One of the recent players to try to play immediately following a concussion was Washington Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III. Robert Griffin III is a former offensive rookie of the year. Also in his rookie season in 2012 he took the Washington Redskins to a playoff game with an NFC east division championship. He suffered from a concussion during the next season. Within days of being diagnosed he returned to practice after the Redskins doctors' cleared him and said he went through and passed the concussion protocol. The NFL had to develop a protocol to deal with the ongoing concussion problem that it still experiences today (Bradley). The process starts before the season in the teams' training camps over the summer by taking tests for a baseline of concussions. One of the changes during the season is the addition of another official whose sole purpose is to identify players who have sustained possible head injuries. Once that occurs the teams' medical staffs determines if they will be allowed back into the game by giving them a concussion assessment. After the game players who suffer head injuries must pass a series of tests before they can practice with the team again.

Less than a day after apparently being set to return the neurologist reversed his decision saying that he was not cleared to return to the field (Clarke). This type of scenario has raised questions on how he seemingly got through the entire protocol in a three day period to be contradicted in one day. With the recent emphasis on concussion injuries it is hard to fathom how the Redskins were prepared to let him play. They were prepared to risk a young man's future in order to win a football game and help increase the owner's wealth.

One of the reasons that it was so surprising that the Redskins were going to let Robert Griffin III play after not being physically ready is that CTE already has a history of affecting the lives of players. One being Fred McNeil. However, the signs were there that Fred McNeil was not well. Whether it be having trouble completing day to day tasks, head problems at work or home, or temper flares from a normally calm person (Kounang). He did everything you were supposed to do for life after football by getting an education and a well-paying job yet football managed to take that away from him, too. CNN recently reported a piece about CTE. Referring to Fred McNeil a former UCLA and Minnesota Vikings linebacker. He was in the league for 12 years and prepared for life after football by going back to school to work at a law firm. He built on this plan by going back to school while he was still playing in the NFL. He changed after football becoming angrier and experienced memory loss. He lost his job and his home. Later on in life he developed Lou Gehrig's disease, better known as ALS. Dr. Bennet Olamu also suspected he had CTE and determined that he more than players' long term head injuries. This is because it was previously thought that a person had to be deceased in order to determine if they had CTE, likely developed while McNeil was still alive, which is a breakthrough in the study of football and concussions. 

Dr. Bennet Olamu has been one of the main researchers of CTE. He appears to have made some progress on diagnosing CTE while a person is still alive. He completed a study on fourteen former football players including former linebacker Fred McNeil. He used a PET scan of the brain that ultimately showed the areas of the brain that the disease attacks (Kounang). This brings everyone involved one step closer to a cure. 

Fred McNeil is just one example that CTE has been detrimental to players after their football careers. The players knew the risks of playing football to a certain extent by knowing the possibility of having a serious spinal injury that could prevent them from ever walking again (Kounang). They felt like playing football with that as a possibility was worth the risk given the possible millions of dollars they could make to put their family in good financial standing. However, this disease has killed former players and has had a severe effect on the lives of those players' families. Now players more than ever before are leaning towards deciding that longevity in the NFL is not worth the risk of lifelong injuries. 

The San Francisco 49ers last offseason was a tumultuous one that saw its head coach leave which was predicted. However, what they did not anticipate was the marquee players deciding to retire to attempt to ensure that they do not suffer from brain injuries in the coming years. Two of their top linebackers retired with one 30 years old and the other about 26 years old. One was a perennial all-pro and the other led the team in tackles in the 2014-2015 season (Maiocco). Patrick Willis, who was a former first round prospect when he entered the league, had already been dealing with multiple feet injuries that limited him towards the end of his career.  Chris Borland was already considered injury prone during his draft process because of chronic shoulder injuries. In addition to his shoulder injuries, he already had suffered from a concussion before. Just within the past few days another player retired due to injury concerns. Hussain Abdullah played safety for the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs. He cited that the reason for his early retirement at age 30 was due to concerns over concussions and their long term affects. This shows some of the fear players are exhibiting regarding their work. So, players across the NFL took legal action in regarding the safety of their workplace.

The National Football League's Players Association (NFLPA) had a recent lawsuit filed against the NFL with a number of players past and present that jumped in on the legal action. The NFL decided a monetary settlement was the best way to calm the players. Though, recently it has come to light that some of the game's greatest players had a brain injury known as CTE. CTE as of today can only be definitively proven after a person is deceased. A few weeks ago the New York Times released a piece about the NFL and the concussion lawsuit (Schwarz, Bogdanich, & Williams). The piece said that the NFL omitted over one hundred different players who suffered from a concussion from 1996 to 2001. The NFL's concussion committee was formed in 1994 creating more doubt in the already flawed concussion committee that the NFL continues to put all of its faith. The NFL did not like that the New York Times released this information and are trying to pressure the news outlet into taking the piece down. This creates speculation if this article is true, as it appears to be, of what the NFL is not telling the public as well as the players about concussions among other injuries. Football, in general, has taken over the American public. Not only is it the most popular sport in the country it is probably the most talked about in media outlets. Most of the time the publicity the game receives is negative. Whether it be the domestic violence scandals, players misrepresenting the game, arrests, and cover ups. This scandal is probably the most important. It completely tarnishes the game if the NFL knew more than it was letting on in order to make a profit by risking the lives of their players in the short and long term.

The NFL in the past couple of years has implemented a policy that continually refers to a 'target zone' for NFL defenders. Especially with regards to what is determined as a defenseless receiver which is when a wide receiver, tight end, or running back does not have enough time to protect himself from a potentially catastrophic collision. Also, defenders cannot lead a tackle attempt with the crown of their helmet due to risk of concussion not only to the player they are trying to hit but themselves as well. Now, almost any helmet to helmet contact that is deemed unnecessary by the officials on the field and the league's office will result in a 15 yard penalty on the field and likely a fine or suspension depending on the amount of times the player has committed the offense. For example, this past post season the Cincinnati Bengals were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Wild Card game. The Bengals star linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been known to make violent and sometimes dirty plays on the field. Late in the fourth quarter the Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown went across the middle to make a catch and Burfict flew in and drilled Brown in the helmet in mid-air. This resulted in a 15 yard penalty that essentially sealed the game. The league then reviewed the play and suspended the star linebacker for the opening game of the 2016-2017 season. Furthermore, defenders cannot hit the quarterback late by two steps and cannot hit their follow through leg in the knee for fears of causing an ACL tear in the quarterback's knee.

Another potential solution to the concussion problem in the NFL is attempting to find a new type of helmet that can limit the impact of a violent hit from a player through helmet to helmet contact. There was a study using over 2100 high school football players in Pennsylvania ten years ago regarding concussions. The purpose of this study was to determine if different types of helmets could reduce the chances of getting a concussion. Players were given different types of helmets. Less than half of the players used the standard helmet while the majority used the newer Revolution helmets by Riddell. The results showed that the players wearing the Revolution helmets had a 2.3 percent decrease in the probability of players suffering concussions (Collins).

Dr. Olamu also wrote an article on his opinion of the nature of CTE and football. Football is known for being a violent game. The fans want to go see the big hits and are displeased when they fail to see one in a game. There has been a reduction in the number of big hits given the new information about head injuries. Specifically, concussions leading to CTE after football. In this article, the question of playing football is not at the NFL level but at the peewee level. The article talks about brain damage that starts as children without any serious head injury occurring. Furthermore, it questions whether parents should even let their kids play football. 

This new ruling has had a lot of public backlash. The main argument is that they are changing too much of the game. The public says if these kind of rule changes continue that the players might as well be playing with flags instead of pads. To a degree they are right. A few years ago the NFL enacted new rules and policies regarding ways to reduce the number of concussions that occur on a year to year basis. The policies that Commissioner Roger Goodell placed on the league have punished and will continue to punish the players on defense by way of fines and suspensions. These punishments occur after the league reviews plays within days after the games for hits of any kind to an opposing players head. However, some of the players are struggling with the rule changes, and question why they have to change how they have been playing there whole lives to reach the pinnacle of their profession. 

The NFL has to balance how much is too much change. That job lies with the commissioner Roger Goodell, who has seemingly been floating on thin ice the past couple of years given his enormous salary. Where they are mistaken is that the game needs to be safer and that way we can see the top players that there are to offer come late in the season when most teams are ravaged by injuries. Injuries that could have life altering consequences. So, the NFL needs to continue to make the proper adjustments to one of, if not the most popular sport in America.

The impact of football on players' lives is severe. Probably one of the main emotions in the game now of the families of the players is fear. Fear that their husband, father, or son could suffer a concussion and change their whole lives in a negative fashion. The possibility that a family member could develop CTE because they are trying to provide must be absolutely terrifying. The disease has already proven it can change family relations dramatically. Especially with some of the games greats in hall of famer Ken Stabler, quarterback of the Oakland Raiders who recently passed away, or Fred McNeil, who is a potential hall of famer in his own right.

Is playing football worth the small chance of becoming rich and famous when compared to a potentially greater than or equal to likelihood of suffering an injury that will have effect after football? Should children be allowed to play football when they might not yet comprehend the consequences the game can have on a persons' body? These are questions everyone involved with the sport has to answer in order for themselves. If the NFL tries to force people into certain decisions it will only end badly.

