Back in the day, coaches relied mostly on gut feelings for fourth-down calls – but now, those days are dead. Today, NFL teams capture 260 data points on every single play through RFID chips the size of nickels. The Kansas City Chiefs know exactly how fast Patrick Mahomes scrambles (reaching 18.5 mph last season), while defensive coordinators can track whether their cornerbacks actually had safety help when he got burned for a touchdown.
The technology is getting pretty wild – and since 2017, every NFL football has a chip suspended in its bladder that transmits location data 25 times per second.