NFL reports preseason concussions rose 73 percent in 2017

The National Football League reported that there was a 73 percent increase in preseason concussions last year, with most of them coming during 11-on-11 drills in practices ahead of games.

Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of health and safety initiatives, said the league is sharing information about each team's concussions last year in an effort to reduce the number of concussions.

"It's not a matter of having five or six recidivistic clubs that we have to discipline into line," said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer said, via ESPN.com.

"This is a league-wide issue where everyone has to understand it's on all of us to work on. It might sound trite to say, but any concussion we save is important to us. We want to put the awareness out there ... and make sure we're making it as safe as we can."

Sills has spoken to each team in hopes of seeing the number of concussions drop and added that there is no medical reason to think the drills coming early in camp left players unprepared for contact.

He said the focus is on "what behavior are you doing and how much are you doing of it," rather than when on the calendar it is being done.

The NFL said it will not limit the amount of 11-on-11 work teams can do during the preseason.