A concussion is one of the most common injuries in NFL and American football. Statistics say that around 0.41 concussion occurs per NFL game of American football. In this, 67.7 % of concussions occur due to some other player’s helmet, while 20.9% occur due to a body region. Just like that, about 11.4% of them include the impact on the ground.

As concussion includes head injury, when a player suffers from the same, they are likely to remain out of the match.

But for how long? Well, it depends. The NFL has come up with a concussion protocol, to be more particular. Here’s more to it:

What Does Concussion Protocol in the NFL Mean?

The NFL’s concussion protocol goes back to the year 2011 when the Head, Neck, and Spine Committee of the league came up with the NFL Game Day Concussion Diagnosis and Management Protocol. Here’s what the protocol includes:

• A player is included in the protocol if he shows signs or symptoms of concussion/stinger.
• The members like booth ATC, Athletic Trainers, NFL game officials, teammates, sideline UNC (Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant), or booth UNC starts/initiates the protocol.

The player is checked for any symptoms of concussions once he gets injured. If he is diagnosed with a concussion, he is removed from the game instantly. Likewise, if he passes the exam, he may return but will be monitored for certain symptoms. This includes the following:

• Blank look
• Lack of consciousness
• Problem with motor coordination and balance
• Getting up slow after getting hit on the head
• Unawareness of the nearby surrounding
• Facial injury
• If the player clutches head after the contact

How Long is the Concussion Protocol Applicable to the Player?

If a player suffers from a concussion and wants to return to play after recovery, then he has to follow a “Return-To-Participation Protocol”. This should be organized by the respective NFL organization, and the protocol process must include the following steps:

• Rest and Recovery: The injured player is removed from all team activities, social media, and even electronic devices. They are said to remain focused on simple physical activities.
• Light Aerobic Exercise: The player should participate in light aerobic exercises like riding a stationary bike or working on a treadmill for about 10-20 minutes every day. This should be monitored by a trainer to see if any concussive symptom shows up.
• Continuous Aerobic exercise and strength training: The player can participate in cardiovascular work with a trainer to look for any behavioural signs.
• Football Specific Exercise: The player can try out non-contact football activities for an entire practice.
• And lastly, the Full football activity/clearance.

Note that the end step, i.e. the full football activity or clearance, is quite important, and it should be done by an acclaimed club physician. In this step, the player is given a green signal by both the club physician and the independent Neurological Consultant of the team.

Here both the independent physician and the team must agree for the player to return to practice or to the gameplay/match.

A player under concussion protocol can only return to practice in the first practice of the week if they have been denied a concussion. However, concussion protocol could also be applied to them as late as the game day.

Meanwhile, if a player is removed or restricted from practice on midweek injury reports, it will be considered one of the steps of the protocol process. They might be able to play or participate in the following game.

That’s it. Hopefully, now you know for how long a player remains out of the game with a concussion.

We all know that injuries are common during sports. They could occur as hand injuries, leg injuries, or even concussions, i.e., head injuries in players. However, in American football, efforts have been made to reduce head hits or violent collisions.

This has certainly impacted the industry positively, as in the last NFL season (2021), the concussions totaled 187. That’s a stark difference from what usually occurred in prior seasons.

Keeping the improvement aside, you must wonder how likely it is for a player to get a concussion in football. If you want to know about the same, then read through:

How Common is Concussion in the NFL?

In American football, concussions are one of the most common injuries that players face. Overall, about 0.41 concussions occur in every NFL game of American football. Out of this, 67.7% of them occur due to another player’s helmet, followed by 20.9% that could happen due to someone’s body region (like the knee). Moreover, about 11.4% may occur due to impact on the ground.

It is also noted that, out of all the concussions, about 9.3% of them can cause loss of consciousness, whereas 2.4% of them could lead to hospitalization. There are several mild cases of concussions (about 92%), where the players suffer from the injury but return to practice in 7 days or less.

Also, about 69% of people who lose consciousness return to practice in 7 days or less.

If we mention how common concussions have been in the last ten years, the graph has both highs and lows. In the year 2012, about 261 players suffered from a concussion, followed by a two-year dip in 2013 (229) and 2014 (206). Between the years 2015 to 2017, the graph saw concussions of 275, 243, and 281, respectively.

In 2018 and 2019, the NFL players listed a concussion of 214 and 224. Note that these data exclude the instances of head injury or the ones that may proceed to the level of concussion in players.

However, if we calculate the average of these injuries, about 242 players sustained concussions every year as of 2019. Also, nearly 10% of American football players suffer from brain injury every season.

Note that there is also a connection between consistent head injuries in prior football players and CTE due to concussions. CTE is a brain disease that occurs when the player gets constant hits on the head for several years. It’s a degenerative brain ailment that may cause symptoms like confusion, memory loss, personality changes, etc.

Who is More Likely to Get a Concussion in NFL?

American football witnesses concussions quite commonly (even more than Rugby) because, during the game, the player tends to lead with the head more. The helmet-to-helmet contact is one of the most common sources of concussion, although any other type of jarring that may cause the head to whip or crash against the skull may also cause the same.

While all NFL players are subjected to concessions during the game, there are some positions that are more at risk. For example, being out in the open field, cornerbacks are more in a vulnerable position to get concussions. This is especially applicable to the defensive back, who has to tackle the players with their heads at full speed.

Just like that, two other positions that are susceptible to concussions are the wide receivers and the linebackers, for their respective roles.

That’s it. Hopefully, now you know how likely a player is to get a concussion in football.