The league’s revised approach to concussions will include a pair of much-needed provisions.
We’re told that any player who is diagnosed with a concussion must be declared as having a concussion and removed from the playing area. In other words, teams won’t be able to label a guy who has had a concussion as having a “neck” injury (like Steelers receiver Hines Ward against the Patriots) and permit him to hang around the bench area as if he possibly could return to the game. Instead, he’ll be taken to the locker room, and that’s where he’ll stay.
Also, we’re told that any player who is diagnosed with a concussion or who has concussion symptoms will not be made available to the media after the game, like Vikings quarterback Brett Favre after he suffered a concussion when striking his head on the frozen broccoli of TCF Bank Stadium. In other words, we won’t be seeing hearing anyone shouting “Hue!” after taking a helmet to the ear hole.
These are good and prudent changes, and the league needs to keep striving for better ways to identify players who have possibly suffered concussions and to get them off the field.