Robert Kraft Says Football Is Safer Than Ever Amid Jerome Bettis' Comments

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said the NFL is safer than it has ever been, amid comments from Hall of Fame back Jerome Bettis regarding some of the issues that plague the league today.

Per Aron Heller of the Associated Press, Bettis weighed in on the controversy surrounding head trauma and the league's lack of transparency regarding research into concussions.

Kraft pointed to improved equipment and regulations, such as an emphasis on protecting defenseless receivers, and added: "I really think that may be overdone a little bit. I mean, I don't think the game has ever been safer than it is now."

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Bettis and 17 other Hall of Famers are currently in Israel on a tour to promote the sport. They also attended a conference that included a presentation by ElMindA, a company that could aid with the diagnosis of concussions, per Heller. Kraft's company has invested in the group.

Upon seeing the presentation, Bettis remarked: "The problem is we don't necessarily know all the things the league is doing. For instance, working with this company here, you don't know if they are working with them closely to try to help solve the problem. You definitely feel as though you were taken advantage of in a way that you weren't given that information, and you always want to have the choice of knowing, and when that is taken away from you, you feel as though you were taken advantage of."

The 45-year-old played in the NFL from 1993 to 2005, spending two seasons with the L.A. Rams before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Steelers, he won Super Bowl XL and ran his way into the record books. He's the league's sixth-leading rusher of all time with 13,662 yards and finished his career with six Pro Bowl nominations.

Per Heller, he admitted to suffering multiple concussions during his playing days.