ALAMEDA, Calif. – The NFL is working to curb concussions and according to numbers released by the league, it appears to be working. That should be encouraging news for every team, including the Oakland Raiders, who lost three key players to concussions at various times.
Middle linebacker Nick Roach, who played every defensive snap for Oakland in 2013, missed the entire 2014 season after getting a concussion in an Aug. 22 preseason game against Green Bay. He returned to practice briefly in September but only did individual drills before being shut down for the year.
Running back Latavius Murray, the team’s second-leading rusher, suffered a concussion in the first half against Kansas City on Nov. 20 and was held out the following week against St. Louis after failing to pass the NFL-mandated protocol for concussion testing.
Starting right tackle Menelik Watson battled foot injuries much of the season but also missed a handful of practice days with a concussion.
The statistics released by the NFL on Thursday indicate that concussions are down 25 percent from 2013 and 36 percent since 2012. Given the physical nature of the game, it’s almost impossible to prevent them completely, but it at least appears progress is being made.
