Before Brett Favre announced his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the former NFL player explained why he believes “concussion” is still a dirty word in the world of football.

In a recent interview on the podcast “Me, Myself & TBI: Facing Traumatic Brain Injury Head On” with host Christina Brown Fisher, Favre spoke at length about what the league is doing to protect players. The interview was recorded before Favre announced his diagnosis at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

During the interview, Favre said he had serious doubts about whether new research on the impact of traumatic brain damage on an athlete’s health will change the way professional football players play. He questioned whether the NFL is really doing everything possible to protect players from long-term damage.

The quarterback told Fisher, who herself suffered a traumatic brain injury, that he would be “shocked” to hear players even talk privately about concussions, let alone the “potential impact on their lives afterward.”

“‘Concussion’ is a dirty word in the NFL,” he explained, later describing the subject as “taboo.”

Studies have shown extensive links between contact sports such as football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease that can lead to memory loss, depression, anxiety, headaches, stress, sleep disorders and other neurological problems.

While a better understanding of the CTE problem has led the NFL to implement new rules and stricter safety measures, such as protective helmets and neurologists on game day, Favre said he is concerned about the impact those measures will have when winning is the most important thing.

“If you can perform and drive NFL ratings, that neurologist is not going to take you out of the game,” he argued. “If it’s a Super Bowl and Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes or any other high-value player gets tackled and shakes his head, do you think that neurologist is going to take that player out of the game?”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame member also discussed with Fisher that traumatic brain injuries are not treated with the same seriousness as other types of injuries.

Regarding the headlines last year that saw New York Jets quarterback Rodgers’ season-ending injury, Favre said: “If he had suffered a severe concussion in that game rather than a torn Achilles tendon, I think we would have had a completely different dialogue afterward.”

While the former Green Bay Packers star said the NFL is “committed to protecting players,” he added that “the most important thing for the NFL is money and ratings.”

But when it comes to returning to the field after a serious blow, the decision ultimately lies with each individual player, said Favre.

“Players have to take the initiative first and foremost and decide what they think is best for their bodies,” he said, adding: “You can’t necessarily hold the team 100% responsible for your life afterward.”

Favre, who was known for his relentless determination during his incredible 20 seasons in the league, also told Fisher that if he had known during his time as a pro what he knows today, he would have tried to be “a little less reckless” on the field.

He believes he has probably suffered about a thousand concussions over the course of his career. “That’s like asking Muhammad Ali how many vaccinations he’s had,” he told Fisher.

On Tuesday, Favre made his Parkinson’s diagnosis public while testifying before the House Budget Committee at the U.S. Capitol about allegations of fraud in Mississippi’s welfare system.

Favre was one of the largest investors in the drug company Prevacus, which promised to develop a new treatment for concussions and received $2 million in funding from Mississippi’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

You can listen to the complete interview with Favre here.