The risk of serious injury to the head and spine, resulting in concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) while playing professional football is beyond dispute.
Professional football players have sued the National Football League (NFL) for personal injuries sustained on the playing field, and achieved not only significant financial settlements but are also changing safety measures within the league. For more, read: Football Causes Permanent Brain Injuries: More Proof from NFL Concussion Lawsuit.
NFL Concussion Protocol
To make playing pro football safer for the athletes, the NFL created a “concussion protocol” designed to help discern when a player was at risk of harm, or had suffered a head injury. The concussion protocol worked to monitor players on the field for head injuries and symptoms of concussion or TBI.
It was not enough. A few months back, the NFL Concussion Protocol was changed.
Under the amended Concussion Protocol, there must be an independent neurological trauma consultant at the NFL Command Center, watching all the games as they are broadcast and available to help medical care providers on the field in dealing with possible head injuries.
Why the change? First, Houston quarterback Tom Savage was hurt. Even though his hands could be seen twitching after he was hit, the Texans allowed him back in the game. Second, there was a publicized problem with the Concussion Protocol failing to protect Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (The Seahawks were fined $10,000.00).
Still, is this enough to protect an injured professional football player out in the field? That’s a serious issue, especially with so much money involved.
See: Concussion Protocols For Sports Injuries: Are They Enough?
Cheating Concussion Protocol to Stay in Play
This amended procedure will likely fail to stop people from being seriously and permanently harmed by head injuries sustained while playing football.
One reason is the pressure on the professional athlete to keep playing. Football is built on profits; it’s big business. Football players come and go; if they don’t play – and play well – then they know there is an understudy in the wings, anxious and ready to take their place on stage.
San Francisco 49er Chris Borland
No one knows this better than former San Francisco 49er Chris Borland, who quit professional football after only one season because of a concern he would suffer permanent brain damage if he continued to play. See, “After Leaving San Francisco 49ers After One Season To Protect His Health, Chris Borland Isn’t Looking Back,” written by Mike Jones and published by USA Today on April 20, 2018.
According to ex-49er Borland, the current NFL Concussion Protocol is easy to fix – and the temptation is high to do so. His warning is echoed by another professional football player: Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawk Doug Baldwin
Baldwin explained how the Concussion Protocol is easily manipulated on Bill Simmons’ “Any Given Wednesday.” (Watch Baldwin here). Baldwin explains that football players, as well as trainers and coaches, understand that the Concussion Protocol can fail and that there are players who will try and work around the safety measures in order to stay in the game.
For details, including a link to a “lengthy piece” by SB Nation on the “weaknesses of the system,” read “NFL player who retired at age 24 over head-injury concerns says it’s easy to cheat the concussion protocol,” written by Brandon Wiggins and published by Business Insider on April 19, 2018.
How It’s Done: Flaws of the NFL Concussion Protocol
According to Borland, one way to stay in play is for the player to keep his initial baseline test results low, so that the baseline test results are easier to meet after a head injury. It’s not the only way to work around the Concussion Protocol, of course.
Right now Baldwin warns there’s really no way to make sure that someone isn’t on the field playing with a concussion or head injury after fudging on the procedure. It’s that easy to get around the current Concussion Protocol.
Getting Out of Football
One obvious way to avoid concussions and brain injuries while playing football is to stop. That was the choice that Doug Borland made, giving up millions of dollars in future earning capacity to do so.
Protecting Football Players Who Continue to Play
Most professional athletes are not going to follow Borland’s lead. They have chosen football careers; they love the game; and/or they have families to support. For these athletes, the issue remains on how to keep them safe while they are on the field, making money for so many companies and organizations.
Of course, from the perspective of accident attorneys representing injury victims, the fact that the player can successfully evade the safety measures means that the defense lawyers will be quick to point the finger at him should he claim damages for brain injuries suffered while on the field.
Obviously, as Baldwin points out in his discussion, the concussed player that is trying to stay in the game is doing so with head trauma and an injury to his brain. How well can he make a decision? Is he truly responsible for deciding whether or not he is physically sound to continue playing?
An argument can be made that there is never a time when coaches and trainers have a higher duty of care than to keep a concussed player off the field, protecting them from additional harm. If the NFL Concussion Protocol is known to be flawed and easily circumvented, then it is a failure in the duty of care on the part of those entrusted with protecting the injured athlete.
Football Concussions and Head Injuries
Today, everyone recognizes that playing football can cause permanent harm to the player, from professional athletes to collegiate sports as well as younger players on their high school teams. It’s hard to consider that this was an issue in dispute just a few years ago.
Last week, the NFL announced a new head for its Head, Neck and Spine Committee: Dr. Nicholas Theodore, who comes from his position as director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center to helm the NFL’s concussion committee. Will changes result, making players safer? It’s too soon to tell.
Protecting players from themselves is a key issue, not just on the professional football field but during college games as well as high school contests.
In our next post, we’ll discuss the safety measure to keep younger players safe and the danger of these student athletes hiding head injuries in order to keep playing football.
Football head injuries can have serious and life-altering consequences. Players must be protected from harm, especially when they are able to make the decision to continue play after suffering head or spine trauma. Let’s be careful out there!
