NFL Acknowledges Football Can Lead To Brain Injury, Bryant Suspended By Steelers
NFL
For the first time ever, a senior official from the National Football League has publicly acknowledged football can lead to long-term brain injury, particularly CTE, which stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Jeff Miller, NFL’s senior vice president for health and safety, appeared at a round table on concussions held by the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce. Miller was asked if there was a link between football and neurodegenerative diseases like CTE. “The answer to that is certainly yes,†Miller said, referencing research that shows 90 of the 94 brains studied from deceased NFL players showed long-term brain damage. Miller’s admission is a big deal, as it was just a month ago that a neurosurgeon heading an NFL subcommittee on long-term brain injury denied a link between the sport and CTE.
Steelers Wide Receiver Martavis Bryant has been handed a suspension that will last at least one year for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Bryant was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season after testing positive for marijuana. The Steelers General Manager says the team is “very disappointed†in Bryant, saying the 24 year old “is at a crossroads in his professional life, and he needs to understand significant changes need to occur in his personal life if he wants to regain his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler.†As bad as the news is for the the Steelers, the team was not unprepared for this. They signed Darrius Heyward-Bey to a three year extension in anticipation of Bryant’s possible suspension and also signed former San Diego Charger tight end Ladarius Green.
