ROSEMONT, Ill., June 20 (UPI) -- The NFL will push to better enforce its system of whistle-blowing on concussions during training camps next month.
The system -- designed to prevent players from being pressured to take the field when they have concussions -- has not been strictly enforced in the past.
Players have put the league in a bind because of their collective silence.
"My biggest concern is that we'll push players away," longtime tight end Ernie Conwell told The New York Times. "Guys will say, 'Hey man, be careful, you don't want to say anything about getting dinged because they might rip you out of the game, or you might be labeled as a guy with a soft head.'"
Discussions about the recent deaths of several former players took center stage Tuesday at a summit on concussions in suburban Rosemont, Ill.
"We want to make sure that our critics understand what we have done, and we can maybe learn from our critics," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
