Headstrong, Flagged Later

Concussions and Arrest Risk Among NFL Players

Main Finding

NFL players with a concussion history had a higher arrest rate

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Main Research Message

Concussion history and later criminal justice contact are rarely studied together in NFL players.

This peer-reviewed article links documented NFL concussion history, player records, and booking-based arrest outcomes to examine an understudied question at the intersection of sports injury, criminology, and behavioral health.

Study Snapshot View DOI

The study examines documented concussion history from 2010–2020 and booking-based arrest outcomes from 2010–2024 for NFL players who appeared in at least one regular-season game between 2010 and 2020.

Analysis Sample 6,201 NFL players included in the final analytic sample. Documented Concussions 942 Players with at least one documented concussion. 15.2% of the 6,201-player sample Booking-Based Arrests 345 Players with at least one observed booking-based arrest. 5.6% of the 6,201-player sample Concussion Window 2010–2020 Documented concussion data from public NFL injury reporting. Arrest Window 2010–2024 Booking-based arrest data used for the outcome window.

Key Findings Publisher Page

These findings are written for a broad audience. Tap any finding to expand the detail. The article should be read for full statistical details, methods, sensitivity analyses, and limitations.

Players entered the sample if they appeared in at least one regular-season game between 2010 and 2020. Of the 6,201 players in the final analytic sample, 942 had at least one documented concussion during the concussion window.

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In the unadjusted comparison, 7.6% of players with documented concussions had at least one observed booking-based arrest, compared with 5.2% of players without — roughly 50% higher odds (odds ratio 1.51). This is an unadjusted, descriptive difference; the article reports the regression models, sensitivity analyses, and limitations behind it.

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Violent arrest pointed the same way descriptively — 2.3% of the concussion group versus 1.5% of the non-concussion group — but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = .07). It should be read as suggestive, not a confirmed effect.

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When the analysis required documented concussion exposure to occur before the arrest outcome, the association weakened and was no longer statistically significant. Because the headline result is sensitive to this ordering, the article treats it as preliminary rather than causal.

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Data Sources and Research Design Methods in Article

The article links multiple public and commercially accessible football data sources into a player-level dataset. This page summarizes the design for accessibility; the peer-reviewed article contains the formal methods.

How the analysis dataset was built

Step 01 Stathead Football

Identified the NFL player population.

Step 02 Pro-Football-Reference

Captured weekly injury reports and documented concussions.

Step 03 USA TODAY

Provided booking-based NFL player arrest records.

Step 04 PFF + ESPN

Supported player profile linking and verification.

Step 05 Analysis Dataset

Final analytic sample of 6,201 NFL players.

Descriptive Chart 2010–2024

Grouped bar chart comparing any-arrest and violent-arrest prevalence for NFL players with and without documented concussions

Unadjusted arrest prevalence by documented concussion status. The any-arrest difference was statistically significant; the violent-arrest difference was not.

Note. Arrest data should be interpreted as observed booking-based incidents from public records and reporting, not a complete measure of offending. Arrests, charges, and allegations do not imply guilt.

Why the Article Matters Read Article

For Researchers

Understudied Connection

The article brings together sports injury, biosocial criminology, public records, and behavioral outcomes.

For Journalists

Clear but Cautious Finding

The key finding is newsworthy, but the page avoids causal claims and keeps the interpretation grounded.

For Sports Readers

Player Health Context

The study contributes to public discussion about NFL head injury, player support, and long-term outcomes.

Citation Official DOI

How to Cite This Article

Perry, J., Kras, K., & Vann, B., Jr. (2026). Headstrong, Flagged Later: Concussions and Arrest Risk Among NFL Players. Deviant Behavior, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2026.2673400

Publisher Page Read the peer-reviewed article at Taylor & Francis Online.

Open DOI Download Accepted Manuscript

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News Context

NFL Concussion and Arrest News

News content is provided for research and public-information purposes only.