I think the improvements in the helmets actually cause more concussions. Read a good article about this. If the tackler can use his helmet without feeling pain and he know that he will deliver a crushing blow he will lead with his head. Also, the turf is basically some rubber over a cement floor so hitting it with your head causes injuries. If the early days of leather helmets and grass fields these guys wouldn't hit with their heads and when they went down their heads would hit grass over soft dirt. These concussions syndromes didn't exist. Did they get hurt? Sure. But the head and knee injuries were fewer. Another factor is the pure size of the players. They are like 40-50 pounds heavier than the 60's thru 80's players. 300 pound guys colliding at full speed is a factor for sure. Another factor is the headhunting in the secondary. Helmet to helmet contact gets penalized with a 15 yard penalty. But if the NFL wants to really protect its player it should also be an automatic rejection. Your SS whacks our WR in the head, he goes home.
