Brett Favre, NFL Hall of Famer, was the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings. As a quarterback, it was not uncommon for Favre to be hit in a manner that resulted in a concussion. In an interview on “Megyn Kelly Today”, Favre admitted he had at least three or four concussions during his 20-year career in the National Football League.[1] However, these were only the concussions Farve could count. He believes that the number of concussions he had during his career was much higher than that.[2]
Why is Favre’s concussion history relevant now? While testifying at a Congressional hearing on welfare reform, Favre revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis.[3] Favre stated that he was diagnosis with Parkinson’s in January “after he began having trouble using his right arm and was unable to hold a screwdriver steady.”[4]Doctors informed Favre that his history of head trauma and concussions while playing in the NFL played a role in developing Parkinson’s disease.[5] Favre is only 54 years old.[6] It is possible that Favre’s history with concussion trauma and his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s pushed Favre to clear his name and testify that he was unaware the funds he used towards certain projects, including developing a new concussion drug, were a misuse of federal welfare funds.[7]
The relationship between Parkinson’s disease and head trauma has recently been studied in 2020.[8] In the study by the Family Medicine and Community Health, data showed that “having a single concussion increased the risk of developing Parkinson’s by 57% and dementia by 72%.”[9] The study focused on minor concussions that occur during exercise-related injuries.[10] Additionally, there are plenty of studies that link multiple concussions, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, to the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which leads to higher risks of neurological diseases.[11] Doctors emphasize that concussions alone are not known to cause Parkinson’s disease. However, many repeated hits to the head over a span of many years are associated with developing Parkinson’s disease down the line.[12] Dr. Noble, a neurologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, stated that while concussions may not cause Parkinson’s disease, it may cause parkinsonism, “a general term for physical changes that we see in older adults”, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.[13] Further, if the athlete or individual already has a family history of a neurodegenerative disease, repetitive head trauma may increase the possibility of developing the disease in the future.[14]
The above studies are important for not only Brett Favre’s recent diagnosis, but for athletes at all levels of sport. Particularly, the studies on Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases will be influential in the decision Tua Tagovailoa has to make when the time comes to return from his fourth documented concussion.[15] It is possible that a return to the NFL for Tua could only increase his risk to develop serious neurological conditions in the future and after his life in the NFL. Will the announcement of Favre’s Parkinson’s diagnosis influence Tua’s decision to retire from professional football? Possibly. More studies will continue to be conducted into the correlation between minor and major concussions and its impact on professional athletes’ neurological development in the future.
[1] Christopher Kuhagen, How many concussions did Brett Favre have during his NFL career? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Sept. 25, 2024) https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2024/09/25/how-many-concussions-did-brett-favre-have-as-an-nfl-quarterback/75377017007/.
[2] Id.
[3] Mark Giannotto, Brett Favre Parkinson’s diagnosis potentially due to head trauma, concussions, USA TODAY (Sept. 26, 2024) https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/09/26/brett-favre-parkinsons-disease-nfl-congress-concussions/75392932007/.
[4] Parkinson’s diagnosis came after Favre began struggling with his right arm, he tells TMZ Sports, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Sept. 25, 2024) https://apnews.com/article/brett-favre-parkinsons-2d71197783b8bf949d772c32f7726d2f (citing an interview Brett Favre and TMZ Sports).
[5] Id.
[6] Kuhagen, supra note 1.
[7] Ja’Han Jones, Brett Favre tells Congress he was real victim in welfare scandal, reveals Parkinson’s diagnosis, MSNBC (Sept. 24, 2024) https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/brett-favre-parkinsons-diagnosis-welfare-scandal-rcna172512.
[8] Kuhagen, supra note 1.
[9] Id.
[10] Caution Ahead: Linking Concussions to Parkinson’s and Dementia, Parkinson’s Foundation (Sept. 18, 2020) https://www.parkinson.org/blog/science-news/concussions-dementia.
[11] Julia Chang, Can Concussions Lead to Parkinson’s Disease? HEALTH MATTERS (Sept. 27, 2024) https://healthmatters.nyp.org/can-concussions-lead-to-parkinsons-disease/.
[12] Id. (citing Dr. Noble and evidence that links concussions to Parkinson’s disease).
[13] Id.
[14] Id. (citing Dr. Bottiglieri, a sports medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center).
[15] Alex Brockhuizen, Kyle Van Noy Criticism of Chiefs Medical Staff: Implications on Future Injuries Including Tua’s Third Concussion of His Career, UB Law Sports & Entertainment Forum (Sept. 22, 2024); David Reinharz, Tagovailoa Should Take a Permanent Timeout,UB Law Sports & Entertainment Forum (Sept. 18, 2024).
[16]https://people.com/brett-favre-speaks-out-after-parkinson-disease-diagnosis-8717904.
Alex Brockhuizen (’25) is pursuing her JD at the University at Buffalo School of Law, with a concentration in Sports Law. After graduation, she will be working at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. At UB, Alex is co-director of the Labor and Employment Law Society and Treasurer of the Buffalo Sports Law and Entertainment Law Society. She is also Business Editor of the Buffalo Law Review, where she was deemed a finalist of the Note and Comment Competition her 2L year. Alex is also a former two-sport athlete at Elmira College.
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