For the second consecutive week, the NFL is facing questions over whether its concussion protocol is being taken seriously.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett took a forearm to the head while he slid on a third down play in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he was visibly shaken up. Brissett appeared a bit dazed when he got to his feet, so he was supposedly evaluated for a concussion when he left the field.
Here’s a video of the play, with analysis from a doctor who believes Brissett was exhibiting obvious concussion symptoms:
#NFL #concussion protocol is a fraud. QB Jacoby Brissett goes back in after showing the clearest concussions signs of the season. Helmet-to-helmet hit, holds head, then goes limp, then needs help up. You don't need a protocol to hold this player out for the game. Check the tape: pic.twitter.com/db8sDwVmVl
— Dr. Chris Nowinski (@ChrisNowinski1) November 12, 2017
The Colts might try to say that Brissett passed the in-game evaluation, but it’s going to be difficult for them to make a case considering how briefly Brissett was held out. He was also placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol after the game, which makes it seem as though he should have never returned to Sunday’s game.
Brissett’s potential concussion came just days after the NFL announced that it is investigating whether the Seattle Seahawks properly followed the concussion protocol on Thursday night after Russell Wilson took a helmet to the jaw and was ordered to leave the field by a referee. All indications are that Wilson and the Seahawks blew off the evaluation, and the team could be facing a penalty.
If nothing else, the situations with Brissett and Wilson show that the NFL’s concussion protocol has major issues. The fact that players still seem to be calling the shots with regard to going back into the game is a huge problem.
