ESPN’s NFL Nation Confidential conducted an interesting survey to find out how many NFL players would play in the Super Bowl with a concussion. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of playing through a brain injury – even on the local squad.
All 10 Minnesota Vikings players surveyed said they would play through a concussion in the Super Bowl. That’s compared to 85 percent of all the players polled saying they would play through a concussion. Identities of players surveyed were kept confidential. The Super Bowl is considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and most players never get a chance to play in one.
The survey then digs into safety. Sixty percent of the players believe the NFL is committed to player safety, but the issue becomes complex when players say they are willing to risk their health for a chance to play on the biggest stage. Ben Goessling raised this question:
How is the league supposed to effectively legislate player safety when so many players admit they’d effectively act in spite of their own long-term health interests, and can players put a premium on safety when not being on the field can often be a quick path to the waiver wire?
In a similar survey, USA Today asked NFL players which body part they worry most about injuring. 46 percent said knees or other parts of their legs, 24 percent said head and neck, and 26 percent said they weren’t worried.
Former Viking Percy Harvin didn’t play in the NFC Championship Game after suffering a concussion against the Saints in the Division Round. The latest reports indicate he will be healthy enough to play in the Super Bowl this Sunday against the Broncos.
