Do NFL Safety Concerns Mean Regulators Should Get in the Game?

Concussions involving NFL players have been an increasing worry. Now a debate has resurfaced about whether federal safety regulators should be able to fine teams found guilty of inflicting serious blows to players’ heads.

The NFL players’ union welcomed the conclusions of a study it funded that found the Occupational Safety and Health Administration should step off the sidelines and regulate on-field activities, particularly those causing concussions. But a former OSHA administrator warned that federal interference in the game could politicize the agency and would be “foolish.”

Whether the agency exercises its authority could have effects on not just the ...