Concerns about head injuries are nothing new for the NFL. However, with the release of a new study on the prevalence of CTE, coaches like Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots are dealing with a whole new set of concerns.
Vrabel, a former player in the NFL himself, spoke about head injuries a little on Wednesday. In particular, he noted that while he speaks for himself, he knew it was a part of the game.
“Yeah, I think the game has,” Mike Vrabel said. “I think the league has. I think we’re aware of it. But I also would say, having done this for the better part of 20 years, speaking for myself, I knew what the risks were, in that your kids were going to have to see you maybe be knocked out on the field and laying there unconscious, or getting another surgery or breaking your arm or breaking your leg. That’s how most of the players that I know are wired. You just love the game so much that you’re going to do whatever you can to play the game.”
Knowing the risks doesn’t make it fine for their to be massive head injuries that can have this long-term impact on people’s lives. Vrabel knows that, which is why he did advocate keeping the game as safe as possible.
“Now, what the league has done and what the Players Association – we should do everything that we possibly can to make sure that when our players leave the game, they can be husbands, they can be fathers, they can be friends, and that they can have a quality life. They work hard for what they earn, and they should be able to enjoy it with their family. So, I do think that the league in being conscious and trying to make the game safer and better, is good. But I also knew what I was signing up for when I decided to play the game,” Vrabel said.
What to Know About the NFL’s New CTE Study
A study in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Boston University, Mass General Brigham and the Concussion & CTE Foundation wanted to dive deep into the issue of CTE. What they found in the first comprehensive effort to understand the prevalence of it in former players was startling.
An estimated 75% of former NFL players who passed away from 2008 to 2023 have had CTE, which is properly known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It’s only diagnosable after death, though the symptoms and impact are felt throughout a person’s life. Because of that, this study isn’t a predictive tool for the prevalence of CTE in future generations of players.
This comes after a published work in August from the same researchers. That study estimated that one in four former players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE.
The NFL released a statement, saying it “continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts. We encourage former players to utilize these resources to identify and seek treatment when they are concerned about their health.”
Several Patriots Players Now Wear Guardian Caps
For fans watching on Sundays, there is something different that they might see. That’s several Patriots players now wear Guardian Caps during games.
Players being allowed to wear Guardian Caps isn’t new. Players have been allowed to wear them in games, and not just in practice, since 2024, and a couple of Patriots players picked up the habit.
Now, that number is growing. The most notable Patriots player to wear a Guardian Cap is wide receiver Romeo Doubs. He would even become a signature athlete for Guardian Caps.
“Excited to join the team and put safety at the forefront,” Doubs said. “Protecting myself and ensuring that I continue to perform at a high level, and I’d love to see the next generation follow the same path.”
Doubs is not alone, though. On the offensive line, the Patriots also have Jared Wilson, who wears one. As do several players around the league. Whether or not that number increases in following this study remains to be seen.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Shares Honest Reaction to New CTE Study