By Marvin Moore September 19, 2023
The NFL proclaims on its website that America’s most popular sports league “is committed to advancing progress in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of sports-related injuries, and protecting players’ overall health, safety and wellbeing.” That’s nonsense!
While it’s true that the Gridiron Lords care about the safety of high-priced quarterbacks and have enacted rules to protect the faces of their franchises, keeping these marquee players on the field is also a matter of economics. Ticket sales and television ratings depend on Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and other top signal-callers staying off the IR list.
Unfortunately, the first two weeks of this season make it painfully obvious that the league has failed to reduce injuries. Concussions. Torn Achilles. Bruised Lung. And the “all too common” knees, hamstrings, and ankles. It’s business as usual in the NFL, and injured players are just collateral damage.
Brain injuries, described as concussions, remain a serious problem that the multi-billion dollar industry has yet to solve. Nine players were officially evaluated or diagnosed with the injury over the first two weekends, including four wideouts – Davante Adams, Tyler Lockett, Jaylen Waddle, and Jacobi Myers. The brain disorder, CTE, will continue to ruin former players’ lives while the NFL marketing machine touts progress that is non-existent.
A study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that artificial surfaces’ have higher rates of injury compared to natural grass. And that’s not all. Synthetic turf fields often contain chemicals known to cause cancers and impair reproductive development. Still, nearly half of the 32 NFL teams have artificial surfaces to reduce field maintenance costs and earn additional revenue hosting concerts and other events. That’s a commitment to profits – not player safety.
The league has devalued running backs in recent years despite the position having the highest risk of injury and the shortest career span. The list of battered ball carriers after just eight quarters of action includes J.K. Dobbins, Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, David Montgomery, and Chase Edmonds. The sad fact is that running backs continue to be an integral part of the game. But why pay big bucks for guys who sacrifice their bodies for the team when cheaper and younger sacrificial lambs are waiting in the wings?
The NFL’s public relations spin about player safety is identical to its ridiculous claims of diversity. It’s a false portrayal of a league whose only objective is to increase revenue. Despite having a $250 million social-justice fund, the NFL has a total of three Black head coaches. Actions truly speak louder than words.
It’s possible that three high-profile quarterbacks might miss Week 3 with injuries. The league’s highest-paid player, Joe Burrow, aggravated the calf sprain that sidelined him during the preseason. Top draft picks Bryce Young (ankle) and Anthony Richardson (concussion) have yet to be cleared for this week’s action. But I doubt the league office and greedy owners have taken notice.
The loss of Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending injury in the Monday Night Football opener was the first nail in the coffin of a “bleak” NFL future. Today’s football players are bigger, faster, and stronger. The status quo is no longer sustainable. It’s just a matter of time before dozens of big-time superstars – including too many quarterbacks – are on the shelf.
Television ratings are driven by marquee players, especially the men under center each week. The league cannot survive with the likes of Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Taylor Heinicke, and Gardner Minshew having leading roles. But that is the future of the NFL. Rules can’t protect quarterbacks as long as there are pass rushers with the talent of Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, and Chris Jones, to name just a few.
The league will continue its public relations sham to disguise how the owners really feel about protecting players from injury. But the day is coming when the NFL will have no choice but to prioritize player safety over profits.
