STORY: How does the NFL’s top medical team prepare for the Super Bowl?
We got a stadium tour to see measures being put in place on and off the field
Location: Glendale, Arizona
The first step is to erect this concussion tent on the sideline
Concussions are a particular concern for the NFL after they jumped 18% during the 2022 regular season
[Allen Sills, Chief Medical Officer / NFL]
“So we’re inside the blue tent. That’s our sideline concussion examination space. Every concussion evaluation happens inside here. This is actually our sideline checklist. So you can see that every player gets the same exact exam done in the same exact order. “
Next up is a sideline video replay system specifically for the medical team
It allows them to see plays and communicate with medical officials off the field
There’s also a spotter booth
Athletic trainers can rewind, fast-forward, stop, and rewatch a play
[Robb Rehberg, Coordinator of game-day medical operations/ NFL]
“We have 69 field-facing camera views that we have to choose from. Now we don’t look through all 69 during a game, but there’s usually four or five views that are going to give us the best view and best angle to see certain things.”
For the team this Super Bowl will be treated like any other game
when the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs battle it out
“We prepare for it and plan for it, just like we do every single game and really every week and every game is our Super Bowl. By that I mean we have to be prepared for a catastrophic event or illness. And if that happens, we have to function at the highest level. So it’s really no exaggeration to say from a medical standpoint, it’s like every other game for us.”