Dr. James Andrew is one of the most famous orthopedic surgeons in the world, who has operated on notable football players such as Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Peyton Manning to name a few. So his level of expertise with football injuries goes well beyond the average surgeon.
Andrews was interviewed by Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated about how dangerous the game is and gave the following response:
It’s a collision sport. … If we started a new sport today and we wrote up the rules and regulations and we called it football, they probably wouldn’t allow it. We’re all trying to do everything we can to make football safer, but that’s the way the sport is: There are always going to be injuries. We’re aware of that, and we’re all working to keep it that way. We want it to continue, believe me.
Dr. Andrews is correct in his assessment. With the data and research on the impact of collisions that we have today, flag football would likely be the game that would be created if invented today. More football players are retiring early, and parents are thinking twice about letting their child play. However, I doubt that these fears will impact the popularity of the sport any time soon. Football is too far ingrained into the DNA of America for it to just go away suddenly.
Now, because of research and data, the NFL finds itself in a difficult position. They must find a way to legislate some of the violence away form the game to make it safer, while allowing enough violence to continue to draws fans.