NFL Reveals 2019 Injury Data with an Increase in Concussions from 2018

The NFL saw a slight increase in reported concussions during the 2019 season compared to last year's data. 

Per official numbers released by the league (h/t NFL.com's Judy Battista), a total of 224 concussions were diagnosed between the preseason and regular season, up from the 214 diagnosed in 2018. 

Even though concussions did go up, Battista noted the NFL is hopeful this continues a positive two-year trend after the 2017 spike thanks to additional rule changes to reduce the risk of severe head injuries: 

"Despite the slight uptick, the numbers are still a sharp drop from 2017, when a spike in concussions caused alarm among league officials. NFL officials were particularly pleased with a previously-reported drop in concussions suffered during preseason practices, from 45 in 2018 to 30 in '19. Last May, the NFL banned several high-impact activities, including the Oklahoma Drill, which could have contributed to the decrease." 

Another key piece of data was the record 19 times a game was stopped by a spotter so that players could be removed from the field and evaluated for a concussion. 

Dr. Alan Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, noted roughly "one-third of all concussion evaluations resulted from some degree of self-reporting" by the injured player. There were a total of 485 concussion evaluations performed during games throughout the 2019 season. 

In addition to the concussion stats, the NFL also found the number of torn ACLs decreased from 57 in 2018 to 47 this season. 

Prior to the start of 2019, the league announced it was expanding rules for protecting defenseless players to include blindside blocks. It also permanently changed the kickoff rule with the ball being placed at the 25-yard line on touchbacks. 

The 224 total concussions this season are the third-lowest total in the NFL since 2012. Only 2014 (206) and 2018 (214) had fewer diagnosed concussions.