With the end of the NFL season, something that is reflected upon is the amount of concussions that have happened to NFL players. The question is, when should players be taken out of the game for concussion related injuries?

NFL players should have an automatic two game sit out for concussion-related injuries. 

Concussions are no surprise for athletes, but in one of the most aggressive sports, it is no surprise that players get concussions. Football is one of the most physically demanding sports and with high concentration and speed, anything damaging can happen. Head-related injuries are one of the most common in the NFL, with concussions increasing over 10 percent than years before. According to ESPN.com, “There were 149 concussions suffered over 271 games this season. That’s an 18% jump from 2021 (126) and 14% higher than the three-year average (130) between 2018 and 2020.” Concussions will only keep getting worse, so it is now good to recognize when a player needs a break. 

Others complain that medical professionals can clear players of concussions if they deem them to be safe, but the issue with this is that medical professionals can be told what to say to get that player on the field. By giving a two-week automatic period of rest until more tests can be conducted on players ensures that the players are fully healed to come back to play. Even if players experienced minor concussions, they must have a select amount of days based off of the severity of the injury. 

It is not hard to enforce such a rule. If the NFL would contact each team and notify them of what amount of time they must wait, then each player can be prepared to get the best amount of time to rest. Even if it makes others mad, it is important to keep the sport fun for all and a safety risk for a players permanent future outside of football. 

So, it is not hard to stop the future threatening injury known as a concussion. Though some are not like the others, recurring concussions only set players up for damage that can’t be fixed, so it is right to find a time to take the player out for the perfect amount of rest to be safe.