When the hit occurred everyone watching the game knew Cam Newton had suffered a concussion. We all watched in awe as he continued to play, wobbly from the dramatic trauma that had occurred from the previous hit to his head. Collisions like these are the reason that many think the National Football League is nearing an end in the immediate future, as people become more aware of the trauma caused by concussions. This is why the National Football League needs to more strictly enforce their concussion protocol to preserve player’s future health. Not until recently has the National Football League really started cracking down on how players and teams should deal with players who are assumed to have suffered a concussion. The implications of concussions …show more content…
Last year a more vicious hit to the head occurred on Case Keenum a quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. Obvious signs of a concussion were seen as Keenum started to stand up and wobble over to the huddle, however he was not taken from the game. According to Washington Post’s, “NFL’s new concussion protocol can’t protect players if teams won’t follow it,” the “National Football League Players Association called for discipline” of the St. Louis organization, however the National Football League only held a conference call to remind teams of the protocol. This defiance by the National Football League to enforce its own rules all recedes back to the commissioner, Roger Goodell. He needs to fulfill the specifications of his job and harshly punish teams who do not comply. The players understand how crucial it is to stop these head to head hits, because of the brain trauma that comes about as a result, but the National Football League continues to refute it. The coaches and teams need to realize that even though removing their star player may cause them to lose a game, the player’s life is more important than the game itself. While the new protocol has helped reduce concussions, the only way to improve the situation of concussions in the National Football League is for the officials to more strictly enforce the