REUTERS’s Amy Tennery noted the NFL “credited a drop in the number of concussion cases this season with advances in helmet technology,” but players said that it “could take time to convince all those on the gridiron to reach for the new gear.” Concussions fell to a record low this season, “down 17% from the previous campaign,” amid improvements to helmet technology and new rules governing kickoffs. The league also allowed the use of Guardian Caps during regular-season games. Convincing players to wear the top-rated helmets has been a challenge considering there are multiple options available, including five that were approved for use but moved to the “not recommended” category this season (REUTERS, 2/5).
MONEY TALKS: In Colorado Springs, Mark Kiszla wrote the “compelling reason” of the possibility of expanding NFL’s regular season to 18 games, comes from “greed. And greed alone.” The NFL expanded its regular-season schedule to 16 games in 1978, but it did not add a 17th game until 2021. The “desire to expand its footprint and fandom” from Mexico to Europe and now Australia, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell “hinting that a Super Bowl could one day be staged on foreign soil,” has made the league “ravenous for more games on the schedule.” With Goodell paid by NFL owners to grow revenue, you “can bet the issue of expanding the regular-season schedule will be argued long before” the current CBA expires in 2031. Kiszla wrote the league will “dangle green to bribe players to ignore what’s in the best interest for their health” (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 2/5).
