Lions cornerback Drayton Florence made the tackle on Detroit’s first defensive snap in Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and he immediately looked like he might have suffered a concussion: He and Packers receiver Randall Cobb had a helmet-to-helmet collision, and Florence fell down face-first and struggled to get back up.
So it was surprising when Florence returned to the game after briefly being checked on the sideline, but return he did: Florence played the rest of the game and made six tackles.
And now it turns out that Florence did, in fact, have a concussion.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz confirmed that Florence woke up Monday morning with a headache, and doctors diagnosed him with a concussion. So what happened? Schwartz said the proper procedures were followed.
“The official removed him from the game,” Schwartz said. “Our guys checked him. He passed all the tests on the sideline. He returned to play. He played pretty well. Didn’t have any signs as we went forward. Didn’t seek any treatments, wasn’t having any symptoms after the game. This morning woke up with a headache. Can’t say mild or severe or anything else, but our guys did diagnose him this morning with a concussion, so he’s listed today with a concussion.”
If a concussed player can pass all the tests on the sideline, that suggests that the sideline tests are insufficient. Mark this down as yet another example of the NFL’s concussion protocols proving to be insufficient.