The NFL is facing further scrutiny over its concussion protocol after Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cameron Brate was allowed to play after sustaining a big hit that later sent him out of the game.
Brate was removed from the game during halftime after being ruled out with a concussion, but not after having a head-first collision with a teammate and was slow to get up.
VIEWERS OUTRAGED AT NFL FOR DOLPHINS QB TUA TAGOVAILOA REPEAT INJURY
Here is the Cameron Brate hit in the 2nd quarter. He played the entire drive after that, getting targeted a few times, before entering concussion protocol and getting knocked out of the game for good. pic.twitter.com/HUTFAUK6AG
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) October 3, 2022
Brate slammed head-first into his teammate, wide receiver Chris Godwin, after catching a pass to set up third down and one yard to go with roughly 90 seconds left in the first half. Brate would step off the field after being slow to get up but returned later in the drive. He was later ruled out after entering concussion protocol at the beginning of the second half.
The league’s concussion protocol is supposed to be initiated in instances when a player “receives an impact to the head” and “exhibits or reports symptoms or signs suggestive of a concussion or stinger.” The protocol can be initiated by a teammate, NFL officials, a team official, an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, or a coach.
The league is under increased scrutiny for its handling of concussions after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered what appeared to be a significant head injury during a game Thursday.
Tagovailoa suffered a significant hit during a game against the Buffalo Bills, in which many speculated he had suffered a concussion, but returned later in the game and played four days later in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, during which he suffered another major hit, leading to his fingers locking up, which one expert said was a “neurological response to head trauma.”
The Dolphins quarterback was rushed to a local hospital after the hit in the game against the Bengals. He was released later that night and traveled back to Miami with the team. Tagovailoa said he was “feeling much better” and is “focused on recovering” in a tweet Friday.
The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who cleared Tagovailoa to return in the game against the Buffalo Bills was fired after making “several mistakes” in his evaluation of the quarterback, according to a report from ESPN.
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The NFL and NFL Players Association announced there would be “modifications” to the concussion protocol and that changes will be made “in the coming days,” in a joint statement Saturday. The league and players union also said an investigation into the Dolphins’ handling of the concussion protocol regarding Tagovailoa was still ongoing.
