Urgent Need for a Cultural Change To Deal With Sports Injuries?

In the high-paced world of professional sports, injuries are an unfortunate but common occurrence. For teams like the New York Jets, the recent loss of Aaron Rodgers to a torn Achilles tendon might seem devastating. Similar concerns hover over the Bengals, as they continue to play Joe Burrow despite his lingering strained calf.

But what classifies an injury as truly catastrophic?

Certainly, the Achilles tear is a significant setback. However, most players make a full recovery from such an injury.

Even the frightening injury to Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, whose knee bent inward in a manner so unsettling that ESPN chose not to replay it, wasn't as bad as initially feared.

The youth football player Skylar Powers' case is another testament to the resilience of athletes; despite fears of a spinal fracture, she was diagnosed with dislocated ribs and spinal compression, already making a swift recovery.

For an injury to be deemed truly catastrophic, it needs to affect the spinal cord, leading to paralysis, or the brain, resulting in bleeding or swelling. These structural brain injuries, distinguishable from concussions on a CT Scan, are unfortunately not rare. 

A study in the latest issue of Sports Health sheds light on the incidents of such injuries in high school and college football from 2002 to 2020. The research aimed to determine the effectiveness of state-level concussion laws, inspired by incidents like that of Zackery Lystedt, a junior high school footballer left permanently disabled after resuming a game post-concussion.

While these laws and regulations, such as the “Zackery Lystedt Law”, were established to minimize the frequency of second concussions and catastrophic injuries like Lystedt’s, the data suggests otherwise.

Scott Anderson, study co-author and recently retired head Athletic Trainer for the University of Oklahoma football team, emphasizes that despite these laws and rule changes, the rate of catastrophic brain injuries has remained consistent. More alarmingly, it has even shown an increase from a similar study conducted from 1989 to 2001.

Anderson believes the issue stems from the nature of the game itself. "You have to reduce head impacts,” he says. Current regulations and laws aren't adequately addressing the problem.

He points out that while certain dangerous actions like "targeting" are penalized, others like spearing are frequently overlooked. Additionally, the role of over-the-counter pain relief medications like ibuprofen might be exacerbating the issue, increasing the risk of internal bleeding due to their anti-coagulant properties.

Are the newer helmets promoting recklessness amongst players? Could mismatches in games or the stressful fourth quarters be contributing factors? Anderson admits these are potential factors but there's insufficient data to conclude.

Anderson's take is clear – it's not merely about legislation but about changing the very culture and style of play.

Last year, Tua Tagovailoa, QB of the Miami Dolphins appeared to have a head injury and returned to play in the game. And a recent incident with Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who was allowed back into the game after showing clear signs of a concussion, underscores the lack of enforcement of these rules at even the highest levels.

For a real shift, many are recommending that the NFL take a lead role in promoting player safety. As the pinnacle of the sport, their actions reverberate through collegiate and high school levels. But at what cost to the sport (and their bottom line)? 

Do we need a genuine commitment to player safety by changing the culture of the sport, or... is that just football and we have to live with the results? 

Full story