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Recent legal settlements and medical research have cast a shadow over the sport. The league’s agreement includes compensation amounts reaching up to five million dollars per player for severe medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma, chiefly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). With around 19,000 former players eligible for medical evaluations, the implications of repeated subconcussive hits—especially during practice—have become a critical concern.
The overarching issue is that most brain damage isn’t caused by a single, catastrophic hit but by the repetitive minor blows endured over time, often during practices. This revelation has led to intensified calls for reform and heightened awareness about player safety.