In recent years, the NFL has made many rule changes in the hopes of increasing player safety and decreasing the number of sustained injuries.
According to most analysts, however, these changes don't seem to be having an all too positive result.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick blasted recent limits on offseason practice time, claiming the lack of preparation has added to an increasing number of player injuries. Others claim that stringent restrictions on helmet-to-helmet contact have resulted in more knee and ankle injuries, though commissioner Roger Goodell has purportedly denied that claim.
I asked Goodell directly about such low hits being a result of rules against high hits. He said NFL data shows no increase in knee injuries.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 11, 2013
The folks at SimpleTherapy created an infographic breaking down the injuries NFL players suffered this year. The data reveals that the three most common injuries are leg-related -- 22.3% occur at the knee, 15.3% at the ankle and 11.5% at the upper leg. In total, players have sustained more than 1,300 injuries on the field this season.
