The Lions still aren’t saying whether rookie defensive end Ziggy Ansah suffered a concussion at some point in the past week or so. But there’s still no sign of the fifth overall pick in the draft.
Via Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News, the latest evidence comes via Ansah’s absence from the team’s annual kickoff luncheon on Wednesday afternoon.
Ansah has missed three straight practices, and coach Jim Schwartz has exercised his prerogative to say nothing about any player injury prior to the Wednesday preceding the regular-season opener.
When it comes to concussions, maybe the NFL should have a different approach. Last year, the Redskins were able to conceal a concussion sustained by linebacker London Fletcher. While the rules permit concealment of any and all preseason injuries, external scrutiny of the manner in which teams and players handle concussions is necessary, given the way concussions allegedly, reportedly, and/or actually have been mishandled in the past.
This isn’t about strategic considerations or ensuring a level playing field for gamblers. Concussions have become one of the most significant injuries in all of football. The NFL fails in its objective to encourage openness and candor on concussions at all levels of football by giving its teams the ability in the preseason to hide the fact that a player has suffered one.