The NFL reported Wednesday that concussions were down about five percent in 2020.
This is the third consecutive year in which the league has had a reduction in concussions, with 2020 marking nearly 25 percent down from the past several years.
“This is progress. This is not a success,” Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications said. “We will continue to implement our concussion reduction strategy again, focused on rules, the implementation of those rules and changes as necessary, refining how our players practice.”
Related: NFL concussions dropped 24 percent in 2019 season
The report also touched on the effectiveness of masks as part of the league’s health and safety protocols.
“One of the side benefits, if you want to call it, is we had almost no influenza cases this year,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. “And that’s not true just in the NFL. That’s in medicine in general.”
The NFL still needs to make it through Super Bowl LV on Sunday.
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Monday provided the league with a scare when a barber for the Kansas City Chiefs tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of giving backup center Daniel Kilgore a haircut.
The barber was immediately removed from the scene, but not until after he disclosed that he had cut wide receiver Demarcus Robinson’s hair the day before.
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Both players are currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list but will be eligible for the Super Bowl as long as they continue to test negative for the virus.
No other Chiefs players have been identified as close contacts at this time.
–Field Level Media