The NFL’s procedure for spotting players who require concussion evaluations continues to leave much to be desired.
Last Thursday night, two days after a conference call called by the league to discuss the processes relevant to players in the concussion protocol, the league failed to activate the in-game screening process as to Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst.
It was obvious in real time. With 4:10 to play and the Panthers facing second and three from their own 27, a pass to Hurst glanced off his hands. He was driven to the ground and his head hit the turf.
Here’s the hit. Pull up the broadcast for more visual evidence and context.
If you do, you’ll see that Hurst might have assumed the fencing posture, at least for a second or so, after hitting his head on the field. He then struggled to get up. Cameras later showed him on the sideline after the play, in a crouch and attempting to collect his wits.
The broadcast made no reference to the reality that Hurst might have needed a concussion evaluation. And no concussion evaluation was conducted; Hurst returned to the game later in the same drive.
The NFL cannot credibly claim to have a handle on head injuries when obvious instances like this slip through the cracks of the league’s efforts to spot concussions. When it’s blatantly clear to people watching at home, how can it not register to the folks who specifically are charged with identifying such situations, and with taking immediate action?
Frankly, it’s hard not to look at situations like this and wonder whether the entire mechanism for spotting concussions during games is more about creating the impression that the league cares about players’ brains than about whether the league actually does. How else can anyone explain the failure to conduct an evaluation of Hurst during last Thursday night’s game?
