By Will McDonald
LOS ANGELES --- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed support for the idea that requiring players to compete without helmets during the 2020 season might result in “herd immunity” against chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“Because the majority of current players show no symptoms of CTE, those players with histories of head trauma and risks of long-term neurological decomposition will be competing with other helmetless, healthy players, which the science suggests should lead to league-wide immunity from all forms of CTE,” the commissioner said in the press release.
“While this may be a big change, this new policy will ensure that current and future NFL players will finally be immune from contracting CTE.”
The news has been met with mixed reviews from owners, with some referring to the commissioner’s plans as “ambitious” and “outside the box,” while others suggested he did not have a good understanding of what he was talking about. Goodell responded to his detractors with a claim that, “whenever anyone hears the name ‘Roger Goodell,’ they immediately think of ‘player safety.’ Would I steer you wrong now?”
Most owners got comfortable with the “herd immunity” idea once Goodell reportedly promised them that the savings created by lowered equipment expenses would be used to cover the league’s on-going legal costs related to blackballing Colin Kaepernick.
