Ten days ago, Packers receiver Davante Adams absorbed a devastating blow from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan. The hit gave Adams a concussion, and it put Adams in the hospital overnight.
Today, Adams will play for the Packers in Dallas, after obtaining all necessary clearances both from team doctors and from the independent neurologist. But should the league let him?
When the NFL first adopted an aggressive approach to managing concussions, it seemed like a given that any player who suffered a concussion would miss at least one game. Now, plenty of players return for the next game after being concussed.
The NFL has not considered a rule that would require a concussed player to miss at least one game, and the league points out that the average time in the concussion protocol has expanded from seven days to eight over the past year. For Adams, the extra three days apparently were enough to let him play.
Still, as more and more information emerged regarding the long-term health effects of head injuries, it’s a bit discomforting to see a player who was flattened by a helmet-to-helmet hit a week and a half ago putting his helmet back on and playing today. At some point, an automatic one-game break for any player with a confirmed concussion could be the best way to handle head injuries.