Concussions and head injuries have been one of the most talked about issues surrounding the NFL in the past year or so. There are more precautions in place now than ever to ensure that players who have suffered head injuries fully recover before re-entering a game as a way to reduce the risk of long term affects.
That's why the comments Fred Davis made on the Comcast Sportsnet's post-game show regarding Chris Cooley's concussion are so surprising, transcribed by Dan Steinberg.
"He was running a route, and a guy just ran straight into him with a head shot," Davis said. "I think he continued to play for another few series, I think he even caught a couple balls by the goal line, but I think you could tell a little bit that he wasn't feeling well. When he came to the sideline you could just tell he was a little bit drowsy, couldn't see out of his left eye a little bit for a second. He's a warrior though. I think he'll be fine"
Yikes.
That is bad news for everyone involved. The risk Cooley took by checking back into a game after a concussion is obvious, and the Redskins could get in trouble with the league for not recognizing and dealing with the concussion in a timely manner.
A lot of the blame for this however has to rest with Cooley himself. If he couldn't see out of his left eye he has to know that there is something wrong and that he should alert the training staff. With those symptoms how much better could he have been over his replacement anyway? There was no reason for him to be out there once he started to feel the effects of the hit.
On a day where head shots and injuries dominated the headlines of the NFL this might be the most egregious offense. Sometimes in the heat of the game head shots are accidental and unavoidable but there was nothing stopping Cooley from checking himself out of the game once he started to feel the symptoms of a concussion. This won't be the last we hear of this ...