Although the NFL remains physically demanding today, it is often considered much softer compared to the 1970s. Back then, the game was notoriously violent, with few safety reforms in place. Recently, a clip of the CBS NFL intro from 1977 has been circulating online. After watching it, former Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn shared his view that players from that era need to be compensated fairly.

Yes indeedy!!! I remember seeing some of those gladiators coming in the locker room or practice from having hip surgery or mangled fingers, real dudes💪💯🙏 Glad they changed the game for the safety of the players👍Every single one of those men need to compensated appropriately!

The gladiator mentality Dunn refers to was indeed a brave choice by each one of those men who played in that era. Those times, the league operated with far less oversight and significantly lower financial stakes. In 1977, the average NFL salary was roughly $55,000, absolute peanuts compared to the $2.8 million average in the 2020s. When players like Dunn speak of appropriate compensation, they are also highlighting a massive wealth gap. 

Athletes like Dunn built the league’s foundation while playing on “carpet-over-concrete” AstroTurf, which a 2010 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine suggested led to a 67% higher injury rate for ACL tears compared to natural grass. For the players who played 14-game seasons in the 70s, ‘walking it off’ wasn’t a choice; it was a financial necessity. It often resulted in permanent disabilities that their modest pensions simply don’t cover today.

Since 2002, a major shift has occurred, with the league bringing in more than fifty rules to make the game less injury-prone. As the years passed, they banned hip tackles, made guardian caps in training a must, and also established the concussion protocol.

But there were fewer rules in the 1970s. Players got brutally dragged down by their helmets, got stomped on their backs while on the ground, got suplexed, and many more dangerous acts that can cause accidents at any moment. Anything like that today will lead to penalties. Not only penalties, fines, and suspension can also take place. Since those players went through such a tough period, Dunn wants them to be compensated properly. They put their bodies through different struggles.

Nowadays the decisions are made based on tangible and data-backed results. Since the NFL began tracking concussions in games officially, the numbers have shown a fluctuating but downward trend in specific practice-related injuries. For instance, the introduction of Guardian Caps in 2022 led to a 52% decrease in concussions for players.

However, for the legends of the 70s and 80s, these reforms came forty years too late. The 1970s saw the ‘head slap’ (legal until 1976) and the ‘clothesline tackle’ as standard defensive techniques. These were high-velocity impacts that contributed to what we refer to as CTE.

Dunn himself was a player from the mid-1990s. Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996. Fast forward three years, and he suffered a season-ending knee injury, missing out on the whole 1999 season. So, the tight end is well aware of the adversities and understands the sentiment of a player who misses significant time of their career because of an injury. He returned the next season as a Chiefs player and stayed in Kansas City until his retirement in 2007.

Despite the safety norms, injuries still happen. But compared to the past, the intensity of it has reduced. They don’t get stomped or tackled down by their helmet against the direction of their body. While things have mellowed when it comes to injuries, it has given veterans like Travis Kelce the chance to play longer, late in their 30s.

Andy Reid is optimistic about Travis Kelce heading into 2026

Similar to Jason Dunn, Travis Kelce is also a tight end. Kelce has been in the news for months now because of his uncertain future. The 36-year-old is yet to give a clear answer on whether he will return or hang up his cleats permanently. While questions are piling up, head coach Andy Reid has some insights on the tight end.

“There is communication,” Reid said via Zoom. “That’s the main thing. I’ve said this before to you: as long as there’s communication, I’m good. That means people want to move forward, and I think that’s where Trav is.”

Reid is optimistic about Kelce’s return. He mentioned that the franchise is communicating with the tight end. They have given him time since the end of the season and are willing to walk that path even now. There’s no hurry, as Reid does not want to put words in Kelce’s mouth. Even the close ones of Kelce believe he will return.

Kelce’s retirement chatter has been going on since 2024. But he returned in 2025, recording 851 yards in 76 receptions and scoring 5 touchdowns. Despite not hitting the 1,000-yard mark for consecutive seasons, he did finish fourth in the league among all tight ends. No. 87 has mentioned in his podcast, New Heights, that he feels he still has fuel for 21 games left in him.

Interestingly, the contrast between Dunn’s era and Travis Kelce’s current situation is quite significant when it comes to player longevity. In the 1970s, a tight end’s career average lasted roughly 3.2 years. Kelce, at 36, is currently defying those historical odds, largely due to the $100 million the NFL invests annually into medical research and player safety. Moreover, the revised rules and heavy penalties have led to defenses playing by the book.

The four-time All-Pro has been one of the best players in the Chiefs’ history so far. He helped the franchise break out of the five-decade Super Bowl drought. Later, he also won two more Super Bowls, making the Chiefs one of the most successful franchises of the last few years. However, last season, the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. So, it remains to be seen whether Kelce returns to help the franchise get back in the Super Bowl race or if his 13th season will be his last.