The NFL reported a 29-percent reduction in concussions during the 2018 regular season compared to the prior year. The league also touted a new crowdsourced competition beginning this spring, the NFL Helmet Challenge, to which it has committed up to $3 million—a huge increase over similar innovation contests that typically offer prize money in the low six figures.
The preliminary 2018 injury data was shared with media on Thursday, and does not specifically attribute the change to individual factors such as rule changes or improved protective equipment. But prior to the season, the league had implemented the so-called“helmet rule,” a personal foul penalty for initiating contact with the head, and revised mandated formations on kickoffs to minimize full-speed collisions.