Two Philadelphia Eagles players, quarterback Kevin Kolb and linebacker Stewart Bradley, left the game Sunday with concussions. There were immediate questions about whether the Eagles treated the injuries with the care that the NFL now requires.
Starting with the summer training season, the NFL posted a sternly-worded warning in team locker rooms telling players that concussions “may lead to problems with memory and communication, personality changes, as well as depression and the early onset of dementia.” The warning, which all players must read, also says, “Concussions and conditions resulting from repeated brain injury can change your life and your family’s life forever.”
The Los Angeles Times has reported:
- “More than half of NFL players say they have had a concussion on the field, and one in four recall having at least three.”
- “Former players have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related afflictions at five times the rate of people who didn’t play.”
- “One in five players who have had multiple concussions say they have suffered depression — three times the rate of players who say they haven’t suffered concussions.”
Last year, the NFL sponsored a big study that showed concussions have caused serious and long-term injuries for players.
