NFL reviewing Russell Wilson concussion test with Seattle Seahawks
Monday 13 November 2017 07:28, UK
The NFL is said to be conducting a thorough review of the concussion test Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson underwent during their Thursday Night Football win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilson briefly left the game after taking a hit to the chin early in the third quarter. He went into the medical tent on the sideline but sat out just one play before returning to the field.
The NFL released a statement on Friday, saying: "A thorough review is underway. According to the policy jointed developed by the NFL and NFLPA, if the Concussion Protocol is not properly followed the club is subject to discipline."
According to the joint policy developed by the NFL and NFL Players Association, if the concussion protocol is found to not be properly followed, the team is subject to fines and a potential loss of draft picks.
Wilson went on to throw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in his team's victory and was adamant after the game that he wasn't concussed after the offending hit.
"I wasn't concussed or anything like that. I felt completely clear," Wilson told reporters. "I think I was laying on the ground for a second just trying to feel my jaw and I think Walt Anderson [the referee] thought maybe I was a little injured or something like that.
"I told him I was good, but he said 'you've got to come off'.
"He made the smart decision. I was fine though. A hundred per cent fine.
"I finally went over and through the whole concussion stuff. We went through every question you can imagine. I even answered some more for them just so they knew I was good and then went back in there."
Reacting to the incident in the Sky Sports studios, Rob Ryan and Shaun Gayle both said they were surprised to see Wilson come back into the game so early.
"The first thing they usually do is take the players' helmet from them, so he can't possibly come back into the game," said former NFL defensive coach, Rob Ryan.
"The NFL want to make sure, in finding out if a player truly has a concussion, that there's no influence by the team or anyone else," added Shaun Gayle, who played for the 1985 Super Bowl winning Chicago Bears.
"The player's health is paramount. He comes out of the game and stays out."
On Sunday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the league is still reviewing the matter, saying: "Interviews by NFL and NFL Players Association officials have not been conducted yet. No conclusions have been reached."
