The NFL announced on Thursday that diagnosed concussions dropped during the 2016 season, from 275 the previous season to 244.
It’s a small drop and speaks specifically to NFL rules that have taken some of the head-hunting out of the game. With that said, there’s still a concern here that undiagnosed concussions remain prevalent around the league.
It was just Wednesday that the NFL indicated the Miami Dolphins didn’t follow the proper concussion protocol in dealing with quarterback Matt Moore’s injury in the Wild Card round (more on that here).
That’s the issue. While diagnosed concussions may be dropping, overall head trauma could remain on the rise. Without a perfect concussion protocol no one will really know.
The good news here is that the league believes players aren’t hiding concussion symptoms.
“We’ve seen an increased number in self-reported concussions this year over last year,” San Francisco 49ers owner John York said, via Pro Football Talk.
York heads up the owner’s attempts to prevent head injuries and is a medical professional. He’s about as much of an authority on the subject as any owner in the league.