Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: NFL’s ‘Evolution’ Player Safety Ad

The NFL kept its “Evolution” commercial, which focused on player safety, under wraps until it was aired during the Super Bowl. We were only privy to a handful of details, but said details seemed to indicate that the league would convey a rather ... not-completely-honest message. My concerns were laid out in detail here, but generally speaking, I was concerned that the League would cast the false impression that player safety was always the No. 1 priority.

It seems clear to me that it has not been. The ad does, at least, acknowledge that there is much more left to be done in the department of player safety -- in particular, of course, the prevention and mitigation of concussion-related dangers. The ad is well-produced to boot, and even incorporates a shot from the Super Bowl’s opening kickoff that occurred two hours prior.

It’s fine, I guess. Just don’t get the impression that player safety has always come first on the NFL’s list of priorities.

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

See More:

More in General

GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
An SB Nation New Yorker needs our helpAn SB Nation New Yorker needs our help
GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
General
Sabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world recordSabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world record
General

The mythical two-hour mark was broken at the London Marathon.

By Bernd Buchmasser
A Huge Dog
THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1
Play
General
Super Bowl 60 coin toss resultsSuper Bowl 60 coin toss results
General

The Seahawks and Patriots will open the Super Bowl with the coin toss to determine who starts with the ball. We have the full coin toss results for Super Bowl 60.

By David Fucillo
General
Marc Marquez completes a comeback for the agesMarc Marquez completes a comeback for the ages
General

MotoGP’s Marc Marquez completed a comeback for the ages with his 2025 title

By Mark Schofield
General
How to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search resultsHow to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search results