The NFL continues to invest into player welfare and safety, further evidenced in their commitment to new medical research in the hope of improving the health of its stars. 

In a memo released to media this week, the league announced funding of a $4 million research project into the prevention and treatment of hamstring injuries. 

The study — led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin — focuses on elite football players and the second-most restrictive injury among NFL players. 

Almost 75% of hamstring injuries result in NFL players sitting on the sidelines for extended periods. The league hopes the study will allow players and teams to mitigate the frequency and severity of the dreaded hammy injury. 

What will the research involve? 

• Quantitative imaging

• On-field biomechanics assessment

• Computational analytics to determine risk factors associated with initial and recurring hamstring injuries

• Develop data-driven approaches to help individualize risk assessment

"To truly understand and reduce hamstring injury risk requires a study of an unprecedented size and scope,”  said Dr. Bryan Heiderscheit, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Our multi-disciplinary team of researchers can now undertake an innovative, data-driven approach to this study, and assist sports medicine clinicians in advancing strategies for injury prevention and interventions to return athletes to sport quickly and with reduced risk for re-injury."