Nov 23, 2009 11:10 pm US/Eastern
NFL Has New Policy To Keep Players Safe
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Dwan Edwards #93 and Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens tackle Jamal Leiw #31 of the Cleveland Browns along with other Raven defensive players in the third quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Nov. 16, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
The NFL is throwing a penalty flag out on players and concussions. Just two weeks ago,
WJZ brought you a special report on the issue, and now the league is making policy changes.
Kai Jackson has more.
Football players--and the league, for that matter--realize they can't eliminate the risk of the game, but they are working hard to reduce it as much as possible.
As the Baltimore Ravens realized in Sunday's game against the Colts, football is indeed a game of inches. Unfortunately at times, it's also a game of very serious injuries, like the one that Steelers quarterback Ben Rothlisberger sustained Sunday against the Chiefs.
"He took a blow. Needless to say, it was a concussion-oriented thing," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
According to the NFL, at least one player sustains a concussion in half of all games played. That statistic has the attention of Commissioner Roger Goodell.
"We want to give our players the best medical advice, and I think this is a chance for us to expand that," Goodell said.
So in a major policy change, the league will now have doctors who don't work for the teams examine players who have sustained head injuries.
"There's a lot of money involved, a livelihood, a profession," said orthopedic specialist Dr. Robert Gotlin.
"During training camp, I got a concussion. Last year, I got a concussion again," said Ravens tight end Edgar Jones.
"It's a dangerous sport. You have to be conscious of your health and well-being," said Ravens tackle Jared Gaither.
Under the agreement with the players' union, there will be 32 independent doctors who will now evaluate players' head injuries.
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