NFL's first medical summit brings collaboration on improving player safety

ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL has implemented new rules, banned another type of tackle and introduced equipment aimed toward improving player safety.

Keeping players healthy has been a priority for a league that had so many star players suffer significant injuries in 2023. Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins and Justin Herbert — four franchise quarterbacks — combined to miss 36 games. They were just a handful of the high-profile players to finish the season on injured reserve, though overall, NFL players missed a combined total of 700 fewer games in 2023 than in 2022.

The NFL and its teams are working together to determine the best ways to keep players on the field. As a part of this effort, the league held a joint medical summit last month, which is thought to be the first event of its kind in any sport.

Over 400 athletic trainers, equipment managers, strength and conditioning coaches, nutrition experts, and sports science directors convened to learn from each other and the league’s research partners. This was happening while owners, general managers, and coaches were 18 miles away for the league’s annual spring meeting at a resort.

“All diverse disciplines, not only team doctors or athletic trainers, consider themselves integral to our health and safety efforts,” Dr. Allen Sills, chief medical officer for the NFL, said to the AP. “Clubs view themselves in a holistic manner. As coaches begin to formulate practice schedules and training camp plans, they engage these various disciplines, always considering potential injury factors.”

Clearly, coaches aim to prepare their teams for games while also ensuring their optimal health. This is the main focus of our interventions. We are looking at ways, whether it be through medical care, equipment, nutrition, or strength and conditioning, to collectively enhance the availability and reliability of players.

The four-day summit, which had a significant emphasis on injury prevention, brought together members from the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society, the Professional Football Equipment Managers Society, the Professional Football Performance Coaches Association, and the Professional Football Registered Dietitian Society.

The groups convened for a sequence of workshops, seminars, and joint learning sessions. They interacted with different vendors and listened to guest speakers, among them Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and ex-player Andrew Whitworth.

NFL executive Jeff Miller stated that the work happening in the sports, medical, and innovation realms has reached a level of maturity that necessitates more frequent and in-depth information sharing with all clubs than ever before.

The league’s executive vice president in charge of player health and safety, Miller, stressed the significance of gathering various groups in one place, allowing teams to exchange ideas among themselves.

The NFL intends to turn this summit into a yearly event.

“Everything at the league is competitive, but the health and safety of the players is not,” stated Miller. “This is where we can collaborate, and the clubs can also work together since everyone prioritizes this specific goal.”

Tyler Williams, the executive director of player health and performance for the Minnesota Vikings, stated that while different medical departments have been individually attending the NFL scouting combine for years, the concept of uniting them all began just a few years ago.

Williams questioned, “As the combine expands and disciplines become more specialized, how can we enhance our interdisciplinary collaboration? This is crucial so that when an athlete comes in wanting to wear a specific pair of cleats, we can consider their injury history, training methods, and nutritional fueling, with each aspect having a voice in the decision.”

On the second day of the summit, the participating groups spent six hours engaging in educational sessions and breakaway discussions. The morning session was centered on the topic of tendon health. The afternoon was filled with five workshops, each led by experts in different fields. Participants were urged to broaden their understanding by interacting with performance counterparts from different areas and participating in staff discussions.

Brendan Burger, the director of equipment for the Los Angeles Rams, said, “Our discussion is centered around injury, return to play, and the role of equipment in facilitating an athlete’s comeback. Our methods could greatly differ from those of other teams, enabling us to learn from each other and apply those learnings to our own team, which is essentially the objective of this exercise. Athlete’s health and safety is not a confidential matter. Our primary goal is to support our athletes, and any assistance we can provide is beneficial.”

The NFL has implemented over 50 rules changes since 2002 with the aim of removing potentially hazardous tactics and decreasing injury risk.

At the recent league meetings, all team owners collectively approved a rule prohibiting players from utilizing a swivel tackle method on their opponents. According to Miller, last season saw the use of the hip-drop tackle 230 times, leading to 15 players sidelined due to injuries.

Years ago, practices like the horse-collar tackle and chop blocks were prohibited. Hits from helmet to helmet were deemed illegal in 1996. Numerous rule changes have been implemented with the primary aim of safeguarding quarterbacks, including a rule that disallows low hits.

Last week, the NFL and the NFL Players Association approved eight new position-specific helmets for quarterbacks and linemen designed to help reduce impact that can cause concussions.

Copyright The Associated Press 2024