The NFL documented 190 concussions in 2024, the lowest since the league began tracking them in 2015.
The league attributes concussion decline to its new ‘dynamic kickoff’ rule and two other factors.
The NFL also says unsportsmanlike gestures, including sexual ones, were up 133% in 2024. Reducing them is a point of emphasis in 2025.
The NFL conducted a video call with reporters Thursday in a bid to share updates on player health and safety along with the league’s game operations. And, boy, did the information provided run the gamut.
The good: The league is thrilled with the results of its ‘dynamic kickoff’ alterations and has permanently adopted the measure with further tweaks for 2025.
The better: Player concussions dropped to their lowest level – the 2020 season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, notwithstanding – since the league began tracking them in 2015.
The ugly: Players performing sexual gestures and other taunts during games rose 133% last season. (More on that later.)
NFL concussions are down, but why?
Jeff Miller, the league’s executive vice president in charge of player health and safety, revealed that 190 concussions were suffered by players in 2024 – that figure including preseason, regular season and postseason games along with practices. That represented a decrease from 227 in 2023. Over the previous 10 seasons, the high-water mark was 291 in 2017. (There were 178 in 2020 during the pandemic. The league canceled preseason that year, had a virtual offseason and highly modified training camp that included extensive social distancing.)
Miller attributed the decline in concussions to increasingly safer helmets, the broader use of Guardian Caps in practice – players were also permitted to start wearing them in games in 2024 – and the implementation of the dynamic kickoff set-up, which precludes players from sprinting downfield and fueling dangerous collisions at top speed.
He noted that helmet technology has improved so much that some shells are safer on their own than older helmets covered by a Guardian Cap, the padded device players often wear to reduce concussive hits. In collaboration with the NFL Players Association, the league is hoping to convince roughly 30% of its players to transition into the highest-performing helmets.
Seven older models were outlawed this season. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is among the players who have been forced to don a newer, safer helmet, and he hasn’t been shy about sharing his complaints.
‘Dynamic kickoff’ here to stay
After installing the new format last year, the league has moved to its new kickoff architecture permanently. Previously, the kickoff had been the game’s most dangerous play, Miller saying the injury and concussion rates spiking two- to fourfold compared to plays run from scrimmage. Injuries and concussions suffered on the dynamic kickoff, per Miller, had essentially become aligned with the risk level that occurs on plays from scrimmage.
There were other benefits from dynamic kickoff:
About one-third of kickoffs were returned last season after the figure had fallen to about one-fifth in 2023, when the league became concerned the play had basically become ceremonial. Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers included 13 kickoffs, none of them returned.
Fifty-nine returns covered at least 40 yards in 2024, the most since 2016. Seven returns resulted in touchdowns, the most since 2021.
Due to the frequently improved field position created by dynamic kickoffs, the punting rate also dropped 4.5% in 2024, which had the added benefit of reducing what had been the game’s second-most dangerous play, per Miller.
Touchbacks will be brought out to the 35-yard line this year (not the 30) in an attempt to provide further incentive for returns.
A team trailing in a game can also now declare an onside kick at any point. Last year, they could only be attempted by the trailing team in the fourth quarter.
Sportsmanship to be a point of emphasis in 2025
Back to those inappropriate gestures − the league doesn’t want to see them and plans to enforce its rules to curb their increasing occurrence.
“Sportsmanship is a point of emphasis and clarification for the players and the clubs this year,” said Walt Anderson, the league’s officiating rules analyst and formerly an NFL referee for 17 seasons.
“Our taunting was up about 55 percent last year. Unsportsmanlike gestures – whether they were either simulating or either shooting a gun or brandishing of a gun or inappropriate gestures like a throat slash or unfortunate sexual gestures that were made – those were up almost 133 percent.’
Former Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch became infamous for the commonly used sexual gesture, even performing it as an exclamation point during his legendary ‘Beast Quake’ touchdown run in Seattle during the 2010 playoffs.
“It’s just one of those areas that the league wants to work actively on. There are plenty of (other) ways for players to be able to celebrate,’ continued Anderson. ‘We want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas.”
Unsportsmanlike fouls result in 15-yard penalties on the field and can also result in fines, particularly for repeat offenders.