Michael Dixon
In Week 14’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright suffered a concussion. Wright did note that the Seahawks handled his concussion well, which is relevant news on the same day the team was fined $100,000 for mishandling the concussion protocol with quarterback Russell Wilson.
The linebacker did add that the policy should be more strict.
“The NFL needs to make it mandatory to where you miss one game if you have a concussion because you are just not right,’’ Wright said, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “I don’t care that anyone says they feel fine. I think you should miss one game if you’ve got a concussion because it’s a brain and you’ve got to protect that brain because you’ve only got one.’’
At some point, we’d have to expect that a change like this will come. The NFL has come under fire in 2017 for its mishandling of the concussion protocol. At some point, the league will move towards a tougher policy.
The only problem with Wright’s idea is that the time between two games can vary greatly. For example, if a player gets a concussion the week before a bye, should he still be held out of the next game? What about a player suffering a concussion during a Thursday night game?
It seems as though a set time (like a minimum of seven days) is a more practical idea.
But honestly, any idea coming from a player that makes the game safer is a good thing. Some minor tweaks towards Wright’s idea may be needed. That said, it’s still a step in the right direction.
