NFL players steadily have used more mental health resources since the pandemic, league and union say

Published January 31, 2024 4:04 PM

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Former NFL offensive lineman T.J. Lang says no one discussed mental health 15 years ago at the start of his career. A lot has changed. The NFL and NFL Players Association in 2019 agreed to make it a requirement to have a licensed behavioral health clinician on the staff of each team in an effort to increase mental health resources. The Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs are one of several teams in the league with a full-time professional dedicated to mental health. Their opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, have a licensed behavioral health clinician at their training facilities for 20 to 30 hours a week. That’s much more than the eight to 12 hours mandated in the collective bargaining agreement.

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