In an Associated Press survey released Sunday, only 47 of 100 N.F.L. players said they thought the league’s clubs, coaches and team doctors had the athletes’ best interests at heart when it came to health and safety.
Of the rest, 39 said players’ interests did not always come first, and 14 were not sure or refused to respond.
“Some of the guys I hear stories from, they don’t trust the team opinions,” Jaguars running back Denard Robinson said.
Some players said there was a conflict of interest inherent to a team doctor’s job. One said players were an “asset” that medical staffs needed to rush back onto the field as quickly as possible.