Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard doesn't believe the National Football League will exist 30 years from now, NFL.com reports.
"Thirty years from now, I don't think it will be in existence," Pollard said. "I could be wrong. It's just my opinion, but I think with the direction things are going -- where (NFL rules makers) want to lighten up, and they're throwing flags and everything else -- there's going to come a point where fans are going to get fed up with it."
One of Pollard's assumptions is right: every year, the players seem to get bigger, faster and stronger. There are more diagnoses of concussions and other head injuries in the current-day NFL, but there is not yet any evidence suggesting that the number of head injuries has increased because of a lack of monitoring those issues in the past.
Pollard thinks the NFL could reach a tragic end because of its trend of having more athletic players that continually increase in size and strength.
"The only thing I'm waiting for ... and, Lord, I hope it doesn't happen ... is a guy dying on the field. We've had everything else happen there except for a death," Pollard said. "We understand what we signed up for, and it sucks. ...Like I said, I hope I'm wrong, but I just believe one day there's going to be a death that takes place on the field because of the direction we're going."
In the past five seasons, Pollard has severely hurt many players in the NFL with his aggressive, overly physical hits. He has had a part in season-ending injuries of three New England Patriots in that span alone: Tom Brady in 2008, Wes Welker in 2009 and Stevan Ridley in 2013, though Ridley was injured the the game the Patriots were eliminated. Pollard also contributed to Rob Gronkowski's sprained ankle in the 2012 AFC Championship Game.
Pollard was recently fined $15,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Ridley, which knocked the New England running back unconscious (and also forced a fumble).
The Ravens' safety may have actually helped penalize a player that otherwise may not have received any disciplinary action otherwise. Pollard asked the NFL to look into a play in the AFC Championship game in which Brady slid, but held his leg high as Ravens safety Ed Reed came close to him. Brady's foot made contact with Reed on the play. The Patriots' quarterback was fined $10,000 for his actions.