Players, fans confront NFL safety head-on: Your Say

A trailer for the movie

Concussion released Aug. 31 prompted a discussion among readers about NFL player safety. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Football players know the risk by now. Make them sign a release and then let them play. It’s up to them.

— Paul Finney

You cannot hold the NFL responsible for the fact that the sport is inherently physical in nature. People will get hurt. That is a fact.

What I believe the NFL is willing to do, and should do, is try to make the sport safer by using better technology in helmets to limit the impact and, after a certain number of concussions, to automatically retire a player for health reasons.

— Matthew W. Wilson

Just because the sport is violent doesn’t necessarily mean that players have full knowledge of the true scientific, long-term risks of head trauma.

I imagine you would have had many players choose a different career had they been fully aware of the high potential for permanent brain damage.

— Michael Anthony Shea

I’ve been a football fan for 40-plus years. But the more I learn about chronic traumatic encephalopathy and brain trauma, the more I realize that this game is almost beyond dangerous. And we’re going to learn more.

— Mark Soucy

I love football and agree players should sign a waiver because they know that injuries will happen in the career they chose.

However, to address players giving blindsided hits: Raise the fines. That would eliminate head shots.

— Paul Krause