Russell Wilson briefly left Thursday night’s win over the Arizona Cardinals after he took a helmet to the jaw, but there has been some question about whether the Seattle Seahawks followed the NFL’s concussion protocol.
After referee Walt Anderson did the right thing by ordering Wilson to be sent to the sideline, the star quarterback walked over to the medical tent very briefly before assuring doctors he was fine. He then came back into the game.
Russell Wilson sent off after taking hit to the chin for concussion check, ducked in the tent then sent right back out pic.twitter.com/8HXvKOGNuG
— That Dude (@cjzer0) November 10, 2017
On Friday, the NFL released a statement saying it is conducting a “thorough review” to see if the concussion protocol was followed.
“A thorough review is underway,” the statement said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “According to the policy jointed developed by the NFL and NFLPA, if the Concussion Protocol is not properly followed the club is subject to discipline.”
Even if Wilson did not suffer a concussion, there’s no way the proper protocol was followed. As Florio notes, NFL regulations require a team doctor to “at a minimum” ask the player what happened and check the player for any symptoms that could indicate a concussion was sustained. From what cameras saw on the sideline, Wilson basically just told doctors there was no need for an evaluation and ran back into the huddle.
If the Seahawks are found to have been in violation of the concussion protocol, they could face a fine of up to $150,000. With all the talk about Thursday Night Football being a hazard to players after a rash of injuries, the last thing the NFL needs is another concussion scandal.
