National Football League

Goodell, NFL pledges $100 million towards safety innovations

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The plans to roll out a five-year, $100 million plan aimed at addressing player safety issues, as well as neurological research.

In its constant battle with player health, and the public relations war that often accompanies it, the NFL announced it will commit $100 million to the battle against concussions.

Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement via an open letter on the “Play Smart. Play Safe.” website, where he highlighted the initiative’s specifics. The expenditure will be divvied out over five years, with $60 million going toward improved technology and equipment. Another $40 million will go towards scientific research and advancements, specifically neurology and chronic traumatic encephalopathy — better known as CTE.

In the statement, Goodell spoke of letting science “lead the way”. He also acknowledging the perceptions that the league does not do enough to facilitate or support player health.

“We know there is skepticism about our work in this area” the commissioner stated. “That’s why both the process and the results of our work will be shared with the medical community and the public at large.”

The expenditure is certainly a positive showing on the league’s part, although it’s certain to be met with criticism. The league hasn’t exactly been forthright about the science behind the issue, after all,, and has been slow to react to many of the claims against its less-than adequate handling of player health — from current and retired players both. Former players have come out in mass, levying lawsuits against the league that resulted in a $1 billion settlement with its former employees, settling a class-action suit that could have cost the league much, much more to amend.

Even at a time when the league has attempted to amend some of its more historically risky play scenarios and tactics, in addition to instituting a more stringent concussion protocol, Goodell’s NFL still finds itself under fire just a week into the 2016 season. Earlier in the week, both the NFL and the NFL Players Association launched separate inquiries into the execution of the league’s concussion protocols. This came on the heels of the much-debated blows to the head suffered by quarterback Cam Newton in the season’s kickoff game. League officials have already admitted error in managing the situation, which further compounds the issue of in-game application of the crucial safety requirements.

A similar issue arose last season with Case Keenum, when the L.A. Rams quarterback was allowed to continue in a game after suffering a clearly hazardous head shot that rendered him visibly unstable.

Some could also argue that the $100 million initiative is a paltry offering for a company that divided up $7.3 billion in national revenue in 2014 alone, and even received a $90 million fee just for allowing one of its teams to move from one city to another. However, Goodell and Co. are at least showing some cursory awareness of the issues. It’s by no means a solution, but it might well be a start. 

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