The NFL (National Football League) is recognized worldwide not only for its spectacular touchdowns and tackles but also for some of the most intense controversies in professional sports. There are so many that we even ask ourselves: after all, what are the biggest NFL controversies in history?
Answering this question is exactly our goal with this article! lol
We dove into the 7 biggest controversies that shook the world of American football, exploring their contexts, main characters, and, most importantly, the consequences they brought to the sport and beyond the field. Let’s remember together?
Click here to open your Betano account and start betting right now with a bonus of up to R$500
PIX payments (Fast withdrawals and deposits)
Live games (Free streaming of over 100 sports)
Super Odds (The best odds on the market)
Bet responsibly!
7 biggest NFL controversies: remember the main scandals
1. The concussion and CTE scandal
One of the most serious controversies in NFL history directly involved the health and well-being of its athletes. For decades, the league minimized or ignored the long-term effects of concussions suffered by players during games and practices.
The turning point came with the work of Dr. Bennett Omalu, who in 2005 identified Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the brain of former player Mike Webster after his death.
The disease, which could only be diagnosed post-mortem, was directly linked to repeated head trauma suffered during a football career.
As expected, Omalu’s work faced great resistance from the NFL, which even requested a retraction of the published scientific article.
However, in 2009, after Chris Henry’s diagnosis, the league was forced to publicly acknowledge for the first time that concussions could have long-term effects.
The controversy reached its peak in 2011, when more than 4,500 former players filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, accusing the league of hiding the dangers of concussions.
In 2013, the NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement to compensate players and their families, as well as to fund medical research.
The consequences of this scandal were profound: the NFL completely overhauled its concussion protocols, introduced new rules to protect players from head hits, and invested millions in brain safety and health research.
The case also inspired the movie “Concussion,” starring Will Smith, which brought the issue to the attention of the general public.
2. Deflategate: the deflated balls controversy
One of the biggest controversies in modern NFL history became known as “Deflategate” and involved one of the greatest quarterbacks in the sport’s history, the multi-champion Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The scandal began during the AFC Championship Game in January 2015 between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
After an interception, it was alleged that the balls used by the Patriots had pressure below the league’s minimum requirement of 12.5 pounds per square inch.
According to NFL rules, each team uses its own balls when on offense, and theoretically, balls with less pressure could be easier to grip and throw, especially in adverse weather conditions.
The NFL investigation resulted in the Wells Report, a 243-page document that concluded it was “more probable than not” that Patriots staff deliberately deflated the balls and that Brady was “generally aware” of the situation.
Text messages between staff members discussing deflating the balls were considered evidence, as was the fact that Brady refused to provide his phone for investigation.
As a result, Brady was suspended for four games (although he initially managed to delay the suspension through legal appeals), the Patriots were fined $1 million and lost two draft picks.
Brady’s suspension was ultimately served in the 2016 season after a long legal battle.
To understand or recall details about this NFL controversy, read the special article: “Patriots and the Deflategate Scandal in the NFL 2015: Remember the Case and Other Controversial Moments in the Competition.”
3. Bountygate: the Saints’ bounty program
One of the biggest NFL controversies came to light in 2012, when it was revealed that the New Orleans Saints had operated a “bounty” program between 2009 and 2011.
Under the leadership of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, players received off-the-books payments for causing injuries to opposing players that would take them out of the game!
The program included offers ranging from one to ten thousand dollars for those who could knock out key opposing players.
The most infamous moment occurred during the 2009 NFC Championship Game, when linebacker Jonathan Vilma allegedly offered $10,000 in cash to anyone who could knock out Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.
One of the biggest NFL controversies led to a major investigation that resulted in some of the harshest penalties ever imposed by the NFL:
- Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely
- Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season
- General manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the season
- Assistant coach Joe Vitt was suspended for six games
- The team was fined $500,000 and lost draft picks in 2012 and 2013
- Four players, including Jonathan Vilma, were also suspended, although these penalties were later overturned
Also read: American football rules: learn how the game works
4. Spygate: the Patriots’ spying
In 2007, during a game against the New York Jets, a member of the Patriots’ coaching staff was caught illegally filming signals given by the opposing coach to his players.
The investigation revealed that this was not an isolated incident, but rather a practice that had been going on for years.
In the Patriots’ espionage library, videos and notes detailing other teams’ plays, collected over a seven-year period, were found.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick claimed he had misinterpreted the rules, but the evidence indicated a systematic violation. The penalties imposed by the NFL were significant:
- Coach Belichick was fined $500,000 (the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in league history)
- The Patriots were fined an additional $250,000
- The team lost its first-round pick in the 2008 draft
Also read: 20 greatest American football players of all time
5. Colin Kaepernick’s protests during the US national anthem
In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started one of the most impactful protests in NFL history by kneeling during the national anthem before games, as a protest against police brutality and systemic racism in the United States.
Kaepernick explained his protest: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
What began as an individual gesture soon turned into a national movement, with other players following his example.
Among the biggest NFL controversies, the gesture deeply divided fans, players, and league officials, and then-president Trump, in his first term, even suggested that the NFL should not receive tax exemptions while allowing protests during the anthem.
The consequences for Kaepernick were severe. After the 2016 season, he became a free agent but was never able to sign with another NFL team.
This protest became one of the most significant in American sports history, broadening the conversation about racial justice both in sports and in society as a whole.
6. Ray Rice case: domestic violence in the NFL
In February 2014, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was arrested after assaulting his then-fiancée Janay Palmer in a casino in Atlantic City.
Initially, the NFL suspended Rice for only two games, a punishment widely criticized as too lenient.
However, after the release of footage from a camera in the elevator where the couple was, the punishments changed, leading the Ravens to terminate Rice’s contract the same day the video was released.
#TriggerWarning In the video, Rice punches the woman twice, causing her to fall unconscious, and then drags her.
7. Washington Redskins name controversy
For decades, the Washington NFL team was known as the “Redskins,” a name many considered offensive and racist toward Native Americans.
Although the franchise insisted that the name was a tribute to Native Americans, critics argued that “redskin” was historically used as a pejorative term.
The situation reached a critical point in 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests for racial justice. Under increasing public pressure and threats from major sponsors to cut business ties, the team finally announced it would drop the “Redskins” name and its logo.
By 2022, after a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, the team was renamed the “Washington Commanders.”
The biggest NFL controversies range from cheating to player health issues, from racial tensions to criminal conduct off the field, and have shaped the evolution of the league and the way the public perceives the sport.
Proof of this is the fact that many of these controversies resulted in significant changes to NFL policies and practices.
The concussion scandal, for example, led to important advances in player safety.
For fans, the biggest NFL controversies are part of what makes this sport so passionate, reminding us that, just like in life, American football continues to evolve and adapt to current demands.
Click here to open your Betano account and start betting right now with a bonus of up to R$500
PIX payments (Fast withdrawals and deposits)
Live games (Free streaming of over 100 sports)
Super Odds (The best odds on the market)
Bet responsibly!
