NEW YORK — The NFL says it will spend an additional $100 million to develop new technology and support more medical research into the growing problem of head injuries.

Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote: “When it comes to addressing head injuries in our game, I’m not satisfied, and neither are the owners of the NFL’s 32 clubs. We can and will do better.”

Under the initiative, $60 million will be devoted toward developing technology such as improved helmets and $40 million will be allotted for medical research.

There will be four pillars to the program: protecting players, advanced technology, medical research, and sharing progress with the public.

The NFL and its partners already are spending $100 million on research and new technology.

Despite that, the league has been heavily criticized in its handling of head trauma over the decades. It reached a settlement that will pay about $1 billion over 65 years to more than 20,000 retired players.

THE NFL has enacted rule changes to try to make the kickoff safer for players. That effort will continue with further safety-related tinkering with the play, according to Goodell.

But if such maneuvers fail, the elimination of the kickoff from the sport remains a future consideration, Goodell said.

The most recent rule changes have been aimed at simply reducing the portion of kickoffs that are actually returned by increasing touchbacks. Owners of the 32 NFL teams last offseason ratified a proposal to place the football at the 25-yard line, rather than at the 20, for touchbacks on kickoffs.

BRONCOS: Big dents to their bank accounts for helmet-to-helmet hits on Cam Newton aren’t deterring Denver defenders Brandon Marshall and Darian Stewart.

“I’ll do it again,” Marshall declared shortly after saying he’ll fight his $24,309 fine for launching himself at Newton in Denver’s 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers in the NFL opener last week.

“I’m not going to change the way I play the game,” asserted Stewart, who was fined $18,231 for his high hit against the league’s reigning MVP.

Marshall wasn’t flagged for his hit, which the NFL deemed an “impermissible use of the helmet (including illegal launching),” according to its 2016 schedule of fines.

Stewart was fined for roughing the QB in the final minute, a penalty that was nullified on the field when Newton was whistled for intentional grounding. Although Stewart’s hit left Newton motionless on the ground, he wasn’t checked for a concussion until after the game.

HALL OF FAME: LaDainian Tomlinson, Hines Ward and Brian Dawkins are among the 94 players and coaches nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2017.

Joining those first-time eligible nominees are Jason Taylor, Donovan McNabb, Chad Johnson, Olin Kreutz, Joey Porter, Derrick Mason and Bob Sanders.

SAINTS: Coach Sean Payton is prepared to quit calling offensive plays – something he loves and has done most of his career – if it helps him manage his entire football team better.

He also figures he has the luxury of delegating play-calling because his offensive coordinator, Pete Carmichael Jr., has done it before – and done it well.

“He’s been with us now, with me now, for going on 11 years,” Payton said of Carmichael. “He has a great feel for what we’re looking to do.”

CHARGERS: Rookie defensive end Joey Bosa missed Wednesday’s padded practice, increasing the likelihood that he’ll miss San Diego’s home opener against Jacksonville on Sunday.

Bosa is slowed by a hamstring injury and still hasn’t gone through a padded practice with the Chargers, who took him with the No. 3 pick overall in the draft.

He missed all of training camp due to a nasty holdout and sat out Sunday’s loss at Kansas City.

Bosa said Monday he was looking to practice this week.

CHIEFS: Kansas City released third-round pick KeiVarae Russell and brought back linebacker Dezman Moses in a surprise move just one week into the regular season.

STEELERS: Wide receiver Markus Wheaton is optimistic his sprained shoulder will be good to go in time for Sunday’s home opener against Cincinnati.