When Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore went down during the AFC Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it sure looked like he was dazed and confused. After all, the quarterback was seen withering in pain on the field (watch here).
He ultimately returned to the field after missing just one play. But this didn’t stop the NFL itself from opening up an investigation on the Dolphins’ handling of the league’s concussion protocol.
Now, a few weeks later and after Pittsburgh pass rusher Bud Dupree was fined for the hit, the NFL has concluded that the Dolphins in fact didn’t follow the right procedure in bringing Moore back into the game.
NFL announces Dolphins did not adhere to concussion protocol w/Matt Moore in Wild Card Game. Should've gone to locker room
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 25, 2017
As serious as this might sound (and it is), the Dolphins apparently won’t be penalized for their inability to actually follow NFL guidelines.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked about player safety and protection of the shield on a never-ending loop over the years. However, the simple fact that Miami isn’t subjected to a fine or a loss of a draft pick is insane.
This comes with the NFL potentially set to dock the Seattle Seahawks a draft pick for reportedly failing to disclose a lower-body injury to Richard Sherman (more on that here).
There’s definitely a double standard in play here. That much can’t be ignored.