Just days after the reigning MVP took multiple shots to the head during the NFL’s premiere game, the league has announced $100 million in new concussion research funding. Of that total, $60 million will go toward technological improvements, including the possible creation of a new helmet, and $40 million will go toward medical research into head injuries.
The NFL has drawn severe and consistent criticism for the way it’s handled the entire concussion issue, as well as the funding of programs designed to aid retired players. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell went on the offensive with this particular effort, granting an interview to The Washington Post and writing an open letter in which he sought to acknowledge past shortcomings and promised the league would do better in the future. And if those descriptions sound vague, well, that’s partly the point.
“It’s all about protecting our players,” Goodell said. “We’ve seen some very positive things. But we’re not satisfied. We’re not comfortable. There are still things for us to do to make our game safer for our players and make it better for our players, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Goodell conceded that there is heavy public skepticism about the league’s efforts, and in the open letter sought to calm those concerns by indicating that the league would be working with the scientific community to diagnose and treat concussion-related issues. “We know there is skepticism about our work in this area,” he wrote. “That’s why both the process and the results of our work will be shared with the medical community and the public at large.”
The technological research will center on the helmet, bringing in research from other disciplines and industries to consider new materials and new approaches to force dispersal. Goodell hinted that there could even be different helmets for players based on the different levels of projected contact.
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