With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, fans are looking forward to the intensity of the biggest single event in American sports.
But sometimes that intensity comes at a cost to players' health.
In recent years, medical professionals have learned more and more about brain injuries related to pro football.
Former NFL Quarterback Brett Favre sat down to discuss the issue in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
"How does one make the game safer? And are the ways that the NFL has responded sufficient?" Amanpour asked.
"How do you make the game safer? You don't play," Favre responded.
Favre continued, "You know, I mean, is that going to happen? No I think the NFL is here to stay, obviously. And that being said, I think we, we have started the ball rolling if you will in the right direction by instituting a concussion protocol."
"The size of the players is not going to change. If anything, they're going to get bigger. They're going to get faster, they're going to get stronger. And so the contacts are going to be much more violent. And so concussions will continue to be a serious issue. There's only so much that helmets can do. So we'll look at it from a treatment standpoint. And the only other option is not to play," said Favre.
