NFL had 182 concussions this season, down 17% from '23 - ESPN

The NFL this season recorded its fewest number of concussions since it began tracking the data in 2015, the league announced Thursday.

The total of 182 concussions during games and practices in both the preseason and regular season represented a 17% drop from 2023. The previous low for the same time period was 187 in 2022, not counting the 2020 season when COVID protocols canceled the preseason.

The five-year average, not counting 2020, was 211.4 per season.

«We're very pleased with the concussion numbers but not at all suggesting that the work is done,» said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer. «We still have a lot to do to continue to make the game safer and reduce not only concussions, but to reduce avoidable head impact.»

Here's a good snapshot of NFL concussion data over the years, via the <a href=«https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=» https:>@NFL

, culminating in today's record low. There were no preseason games in 2020, accounting for that lower number. pic.twitter.com/gwpHEtXLED

Sills and Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, attributed the 2024 drop to a series of factors that included helmet quality and the mandatory use of Guardian Caps for most players during training camp and regular-season practices. The concussion rate dropped by 43% on the league's newly designed kickoff, but there was the same total number of concussions on kickoffs in 2024 (eight) as in 2023 because the rule created more overall returns.

According to Sills, 35% of all players upgraded their helmet quality in 2024 based on the rankings published annually by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Typically, Sills said, that rate is between 14% and 17%. In addition, about a third of