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Will Grim Life Expectancy Numbers Force The NFL Into Drastic Change?

A recent post on The Score chronicled some alarming facts that have come to light about the dangers of football. Is the tide turning against the barbaric aspects of the sport? Will the NFL have to drastically change its game so that it becomes safer?

The facts are that retired NFL players suffer from Alzheimer’s at a 37 percent higher rate than the average, according to a UNC study.

The average life expectancy for all pro football players, including all positions and backgrounds, is 55 years,” adding that “several insurance carriers say it is 51 years.” The average life expectancy of a retired pro football player is 55 years. That number is about 20 percent below the world average. In the United States, it’s just under 80. That means that, if the above report is accurate, NFL players can expect to lose about 25 years as a result of their profession.

Will parents want their children to play Pop Warner knowing the life-threatening risks? Doug Brown, a CFL defensive lineman, said in an op-ed, “I don’t have any children at the moment, but if I do end up having a son I can honestly tell you I’m not sure right now whether he should play football and whether I would even encourage him to.”

The players’ union will definitely look at these figures and bring them to the bargaining table with the owners. At this juncture it seems the players won’t voluntarily engage in a bloodsport unless they are looked after. The players are already locked out through none of their own doing – one would think they will make the most of it and demand substantial medical insurance coverage after retirement.

[theScore via Reddit]