It IS an issue if only because the NFL is making it one, whether for ethical or legal reasons. You know as well as I head-hunting is almost as old as football, and many NFL players and coaches, still do it, though few as brazenly as James Harrison. Bountygate was just last year, and not even the first such case in the modern era; Buddy Ryan did the same thing coaching Philly against Dallas, and didn't even NEED to against a 1-15 team: He's just a vicious SOB who wanted to end Troy Aikmans career before it started and take "vengeance" on a kicker he cut who dared sign with a divisional team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounty_Bowl
It happens, commonly, if not necessarily often (who knows, since no one will publicly admit doing it, though Harrison comes awfully close.) And it needs to stop, because there's nothing sporting in winning a game by deliberately crippling opponents; that's not football, and the too many who think it is need to be disabused of their abusive notion. The NFL's going about it all wrong targeting means rather than motive, at the expense of play, but doing the wrong thing for the (supposed) right reason makes that reason no less right.