Still, there's some skepticism over just how effective this will all be.

Adalius Thomas, an alternate player rep in New England told me, "You can’t tell that (there are symptoms) by looking at somebody. I just don’t know how you’re going to determine that. Well, OK, somebody’s running off the field and you can say, ‘It looks like he’s got memory loss’? Are you going to question everybody every time they come off the field? Maybe they’re going off the hit. I don’t know."

Thomas emphasized that he's never been diagnosed with a concussion, but said that he believes the onus will remain on the players themselves in situations where there isn't a huge collision that makes the possibility of such an injury obvious.

"You have to do what’s best for you, and not think about being tough," Thomas said. "Playing football with a concussion doesn’t make you tough, it makes you stupid. You have to educate yourself in knowing, whatever the rules are, however you’re going to do it.

"There’s definitely gray in everything – It depends on the degree of the injury, the status of the player, what time of the year it is. Is it training camp? Are you cutting people? It really depends. And as the old saying goes, that’s just the nature of the business. You have to take care of yourself, you have to educate yourself, know what your rights are."

One thing players don't have now that could help is formal classes teaching them about the symptoms and how to look for them. Material's available on the subject, but players can choose to ignore it.

But as the issue continues to fester, it's pretty obvious that the education and guidelines will continue to grow, and in that way, players feel like this is a step in the right direction.

"It’s more common now, obviously, you’re seeing it become more of an issue, whether it’s the surfaces we’re playing on, or whatever it is," Light said. "There are factors all involved there, but there’s definitely more of an emphasis so there’s guidelines in place and they have a process. So these guys have a process now that they have to go through.

"If they’re fit to be out on the field, they’ll be back out there. If it’s his decision to go out there and try to do it outside the process, then that’s one thing. But I think more of these guys understand there’s long-term effects with any kind of head injury

"They’re continuing to do more every year, and it’s been a topic of conversation at our meetings and the owners meetings as well. So they’re gonna continue to build on it, I’m sure."

The vital thing, tight end Benjamin Watson said, is "for the league, the trainers, the players to understand the consequences of concussions and to be open and up front about it."

Here's the rule, with the league making an effort to do just that ...

COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL notified NFL teams today that a new and expanded statement on return-to-play for a player who sustains a concussion will take effect with games beginning this week.

The stricter 2009 statement on return-to-play was developed by the NFL’s medical committee on concussions in conjunction with team doctors, outside medical experts, and the NFL Players Association in order to provide more specificity in making return-to-play decisions. The new guidance supplements the 2007 statement on return-to-play that encouraged team physicians and athletic trainers to continue to take a conservative approach to treating concussions and established that a player should not return to the same game after a concussion if the team medical staff determined that he had lost consciousness.

The 2009 statement advises that a player who suffers a concussion should not return to play or practice on the same day if he shows any signs or symptoms of a concussion that are outlined in the return-to-play statement. It further states:

“Once removed for the duration of a practice or game, the player should not be considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant. A critical element of managing concussions is candid reporting by players of their symptoms following an injury. Accordingly, players are to be encouraged to be candid with team medical staffs and fully disclose any signs or symptoms that may be associated with a concussion.”

Based on the 2009 statement, a player who suffers a concussion should not return to play or practice on the same day if any of the following symptoms or signs is identified based on the initial medical evaluation of the player:

* Loss of consciousness;

* Confusion as evidenced by disorientation to person, time or place; inability to respond appropriately to questions; or inability to remember assignments or plays;

* Amnesia as evidenced by a gap in memory for events occurring just prior to the injury; inability to learn and retain new information; or a gap in memory for events that occurred after the injury;

* Abnormal neurological examination, such as abnormal pupillary response, persistent dizziness or vertigo, or abnormal balance on sideline testing.

* New and persistent headache, particularly if accompanied by photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting or dizziness;

* Any other persistent signs or symptoms of concussion.

“The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way,” Commissioner Goodell said in a memo to the NFL clubs. “This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education, and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play.”