long term degenerative brain damage yes(like normally 60s 70s if at all) , serious injuries..... depends what you mean by serious. People break bones and tendons but actual life threatening/long injuries are quite rare.

Don’t get me wrong the game takes an insane toll on your body, it’s basically American gladiators, but while the average NFL lifespan is reduced, it’s not a to a degree where I’d call it a blood sport. Also it should be noted that 99% of the players are on juice which contributes heavily to the heart disease and other premature deaths from strokes and such

https://www.sportscasting.com/why-nfl-players-are-dying-at-a-faster-rate-than-other-athletes/

TLDR : I’d rather be an NFL player than a coal miner