Super Bowl 2023: How the NFL prepares for possible player injuries
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills shows reporters the concussion protocol checklist inside one of the blue sideline injury tents. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios
After Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's startling cardiac arrest during a game last month, football fans are paying more attention to player safety than ever before.
State of play: NFL medical officials gave us a tour of State Farm Stadium on Thursday to explain safety protocols used to ensure players receive elite care.
Of note: The medical procedures will be no different this weekend from any other NFL game this season, chief medical officer Allen Sills told us.
By the numbers: There will be more than 30 doctors working the game and they can use 69 field-facing cameras to review injuries.
- Two ambulances park just off the field to transport players to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, a level I trauma center and home to the Barrow Neurological Institute, if needed.
3 things we learned: Any doctor, teammate, coach or referee can ask for a player to be evaluated for a concussion.
- There is a button in a booth above the field that alerts referees to stop the game for a medical timeout if an athletic trainer sees a possible head or neck injury.
- All doctors and the game-day referees meet 60 minutes before kickoff to walk through emergency procedures one final time.