In the midst of another season where concussions have ruled the conversation around the league, it appears that the NFL has decided to change its concussion protocol mid-stream.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen noted Sunday morning that the league made some concrete changes this past weekend. And they could very well help teams overcome issues with implementing the concussion protocol itself.
“As of last weekend, some changes were made to league’s concussion protocol including placement of a central Neurotrauma Consultant in the NFL command center for broadcast oversight, confirmed Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer,” Mortensen noted.
This actually makes a ton of sense. If there’s a consultant at the command center for games, it could help the league catch what those on the field don’t see. An example would be Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson avoiding getting checked for a concussion earlier this season, which led directly to a $100,000 fine for the team.
There’s a few other important changes to the league’s concussion protocol, as noted by Mortensen.
Concussion protocol change (cont'd): A referee who removes player from game for suspected head trauma must specifically notify medical staff
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 24, 2017
Concussion protocol change (cont'd): A player who exhibits impact seizure symptoms is ruled out for the game, which is the protocol for any player who loses consciousness.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 24, 2017
This latter change is interesting in that it comes mere weeks after the Texans received criticism for putting Tom Savage back in the game after he appeared to display seizure-like symptoms. Savage has since been placed on season-ending injured reserve and the NFLPA has announced an investigation into the matter.
In any event, this is always going to be a continual trend around the league. As it becomes more aware of major issues with teams implementing the concussion protocol, the league will take more of the matter into its own hands.