Linebackers and defensive backs consistently rank among the most concussion-prone positions in football, though the answer shifts depending on the level of play and how you measure risk. At the high school level, linebackers account for 6 out of every 10 concussions among defensive players. In the NFL, defensive backs have the highest total number of concussions, while quarterbacks face the greatest risk on a per-play basis.
Defense Carries the Highest Risk
On the defensive side of the ball, linebackers stand out at every level. CDC data shows that linebackers sustain 60% of all concussions among high school defensive players. At the college level, research published in the Journal of Neurotrauma found that linebackers had some of the highest concussion rates per 1,000 athlete exposures, a measure that accounts for every practice and game a player participates in.
Defensive backs take the top spot in the NFL for sheer concussion volume. Their playing style explains why: they sprint into open-field collisions with receivers and ball carriers at full speed, often without the bracing that linemen get from anticipating contact at the snap. These high-velocity, sometimes unexpected hits are exactly the kind that produce concussions.
Offensive Positions Are Not Far Behind
Running backs are the most concussion-prone offensive players in high school football, sustaining nearly half of all concussions on the offensive side. They carry the ball directly into traffic on most plays, absorbing hits from multiple defenders. At the college level, tight ends and offensive linemen also show elevated concussion rates. Tight ends occupy a hybrid role that exposes them to both blocking collisions and open-field hits as receivers, which may explain their elevated risk.
Quarterbacks present an interesting case. While their raw concussion numbers are lower than those of linebackers or defensive backs, their risk per play is the highest in the NFL. Quarterbacks take fewer total hits than most positions, but the hits they do take tend to be dangerous. They’re often struck while stationary or while looking downfield, meaning they can’t brace for impact. Helmet sensor studies at the college level confirm this pattern: quarterbacks absorb a higher percentage of impacts to the back of the helmet compared to other positions, suggesting they’re frequently hit from behind or blindsided.
Tackling Is the Primary Cause
Regardless of position, the act of tackling is responsible for nearly two-thirds of all concussions in high school football. That single statistic explains why defensive players, particularly linebackers, face such outsized risk. They are involved in more tackles per game than any other position group.
The type and location of head impacts vary significantly by position. Offensive linemen absorb the highest percentage of impacts to the front of the helmet, which makes sense given that they engage defenders head-on at the line of scrimmage on every snap. Defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs also take more frontal hits than rear ones. Wide receivers are the exception: they experience roughly equal impacts to the front and back of the helmet, reflecting the unpredictable angles of contact they face while running routes and catching passes in traffic.
Linemen Face a Different Kind of Risk
Offensive and defensive linemen don’t always top the concussion charts, but they face a unique concern that raw concussion numbers don’t capture. Linemen collide with an opponent on virtually every snap, accumulating a far higher total number of head impacts per season than skill-position players. Most of these are lower-force hits that don’t produce a diagnosed concussion, but the cumulative effect of thousands of these repetitive impacts is a growing area of concern in brain health. College research has confirmed that linemen experience some of the highest concussion rates per athlete exposure, reinforcing that the sheer volume of contact they endure takes a measurable toll.
How Play Type Changes the Risk
Special teams plays, particularly kickoffs, have long been considered among the most dangerous plays in football due to the high closing speeds between players running in opposite directions. The NFL introduced a redesigned “dynamic kickoff” in 2024 to reduce these collisions. Compared to the 2022 season, the new rules produced a statistically significant drop in kickoff-related concussions. However, concussion rates actually rose compared to 2023, making the overall impact of the rule change difficult to assess after just one season.
The broader trend in rule changes, from targeting penalties to limits on full-contact practices, has been aimed at reducing the kinds of hits that hurt linebackers, defensive backs, and quarterbacks most. But the fundamental reality of the sport remains: positions that involve high-speed collisions or frequent tackling will always carry the greatest concussion risk. If you’re evaluating risk by position, linebackers and running backs at the youth and high school level, and defensive backs and quarterbacks at the professional level, consistently sit at the top of the list.