Can a Better Football Helmet Stop Concussions?

Roman Mars says the NFL reported 129 concussions in the 2024 regular season and 168 the next year, more than five players on every team. Hits that never reach a concussion diagnosis can still damage the brain years later. Sensors show a hard impact sometimes leaves no symptoms, and a smaller one can cause a concussion that takes longer to heal. Many concussions come from rotational acceleration, the head whipping on the neck, rather than from a direct blow.

A doctor tells him that unless the helmet were strapped to the shoulders so the head could not move, it cannot do much to prevent a concussion. Roman Mars says designing a helmet that eliminates concussions is not technically possible. Tweaks help at the edges. The limit is the laws of physics. If tackle football continues, helmets are harm reduction. They are not a version of the game without brain injuries.