Why NFL Players are Benefitting from RFID Technology

New Orleans Saints running back (RB) Alvin Kamara gained 119 of his 128 receiving yards after a catch (YAC) in earlier this NFL season, the most YAC by a player in a game this season. That’s 30 YAC over expectation (YACOE). Kamara leads all RB with +211 YACOE since the beginning of last season – 52 more than the next closest RB. That same week, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver (WR) Ja’Marr Chase recorded 76 YAC on his 82-yard TD catch, including +73 YACOE, marking the most YACOE on a single play over the last 4 seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was blitzed on just 1 of his 39 dropbacks (2.6%). He’s now been blitzed on just 10.7% of his dropbacks this season, the lowest rate in the NFL by a wide margin. For comparison, Josh Allen has the 2nd lowest blitz rate faced at 17.2%. Mahomes has thrown 30 of his 33 career interceptions when the defense doesn't blitz.

What makes these stats so impressive (besides the fact that we can collect these types of stats at all)?

They prove both rookie and veteran NFL players are hitting their stride and reaching their prime as the season progresses. But things could change on a dime if players aren’t careful. That’s why the NFL uses data to guide its player health and safety efforts, including leveraging radio frequency identification (RFID) tags embedded in players’ equipment to help inform training and recovery decisions.

RFID Offers Insights to Help Keep Players Safe

Coaches, trainers and the players themselves want to make sure they remain healthy all season long. That can be a challenge for professional athletes who spend their days training for competition. In the NFL, practice intensity can mimic game day, and game days can lead to unpredictable interactions with competitors – and injuries.

Athletes can work with coaches and trainers to strengthen their musculature, improve flexibility, and learn how to safely tackle or fall – if they have a way to track performance and equipment usage. With the data generated by Zebra RFID tags in shoulder pads, footballs and other equipment, coaches, athletic trainers, and engineers can learn more about what is happening when players are on the field.

The NFL detailed exactly how it works in this blog post and video, so I recommend you check it out to learn more about how Zebra Technologies is helping the NFL collect more data than ever before to advance player health and safety.

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Related Reads:

• Stories from the Edge | NFL Bets Big on RFID, IoT as Player Statistics Become a Strategic Imperative On and Off the Field
• What Does a Perfect Practice or Game Really Look Like for NFL Players?
• Did Your Favorite NFL Player or Team Really Perform as Well as You Think in the 2020-2021 Season? These Stats Tell the Real Story!
• NFLs Troy Vincent: Zebra Technologies Provides the Data Engine for Football