That should read “…the popularity of the NFL as a product.” My wording was unnecessarily ambiguous. Sorry.
Yes, I believe there are two different lines of argument I put forward, so I agree with you to that extent. But I do believe they are linked, with short and long effects. The general public is learning more about head trauma to professionals and they are taking notice. This type of education is a slow and steady process - it will take years before it has any effect on the popularity of the NFL game. But decisions about kids happen much sooner, and those happen at the individual/family level. Those are already happening, and I think that trend will be evident in higher levels of the sport very soon.