Concussions were way down this season according to the NFL's data.
On Thursday, the NFL claimed its players suffered a total of 182 concussions during games and practices in the preseason and regular season. That was a 17% drop from the 2023 season, and was the lowest mark since the league began tracking concussions in 2015.
The previous low came during the 2022 season when 187 concussions were counted. The 2020 season's numbers aren't considered due to the cancellation of the preseason. With the 2020 season is removed from the data set, the five-year average of concussions was 211.4 per season, so the 182 reported concussions in 2024 represents a significant drop.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote about the new data and pointed out that the drop is being attributed to several factors including helmet quality and the use of Guardian Caps. In 2023, the league mandated the use of Guardian Caps in practice for all players except for quarterbacks and specialists. In 2024, the league began allowing players to wear the caps in regular season games.
Here's a good snapshot of NFL concussion data over the years, via the @NFL, culminating in today's record low. There were no preseason games in 2020, accounting for that lower number. pic.twitter.com/gwpHEtXLED
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) January 30, 2025
It's worth noting again that this is the league's internal data.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Claims 10-Year Low in Concussions During 2024 Season.
