The NFL has been trying to make the game safer for years. Last month, the league began something it plans to make an annual tradition.
Via Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the league held a medical conference in conjunction with the annual meetings in Orlando. About 18 miles from the site of the NFL’s March meeting, about 400 people gathered for presentations and workshops on player safety.
“It’s not just team doctors or athletic trainers, all of these different disciplines really consider themselves part of our health and safety effort,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills told Maaddi. “Clubs look at themselves very holistically and these days, as coaches start to plan training schedules and plan the training camp, they really engage these different disciplines and do it through the lens of what can be an injury.
“Of course, coaches want to prepare their teams to play, but they also want to make sure they are as healthy as possible. And that’s where we’re looking at these interventions. How can we collectively, whether through medical care, equipment, nutrition or strength and conditioning efforts, what can we collectively do to increase player availability and reliability?
The main objective is to prevent injuries. That became a hot topic on Monday when Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson discussed the low blow that left him with a torn ACL at the end of the 2023 season. As Hockenson said, he would have preferred a loud blow and a concussion to a nine-month ordeal rehabilitating a serious knee injury.
It is somewhat surprising that the league has not yet created a strike zone for defenseless receivers. Strikes to the head and neck of defenseless recipients are now prohibited. Anything else is fair game – including a devastating blow to the knee.
This needs to end. Perhaps Hockenson’s comments will catch the attention of the owners who will meet again in May. It’s not too late to change the rules, and this one would be simple. If there is a true desire to prevent injuries.
