In Week 6, Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two plays. However, the New York Giants didn’t follow the NFL’s protocol, and the league has now taken action regarding the matter.
The league’s concussion protocol aims to prevent further issues for players after a head injury. The NFL has designed a plan to ensure that players are fully cleared before returning to the game or, if necessary, ruled out to protect their health.
Unfortunately, the Giants didn’t follow the protocol with Jaxson Dart. The team was desperate to get the quarterback back against the Eagles and pressured the medical staff to act faster, attempting to clear him for play—something the NFL does not allow.
NFL sends warning to all teams about following the concussion protocol correctly
During the Eagles vs. Giants game in Week 6, Jaxson Dart received a hit to the head that left him on the field for a few seconds. The QB got up, but as the protocol states, he had to leave the game for at least one play to be properly evaluated for a concussion.
Russell Wilson took his place, but he no longer has the confidence of HC Brian Daboll or the team to guide the offense. For that reason, the head coach and some players entered the tent where Dart was being assessed, putting pressure on the medical staff to get him back on the field quickly.
Obviously, this is not allowed under the NFL’s concussion protocol. While Brian Daboll apologized afterward for the incident, the league has issued a stern warning to all 32 teams to avoid interfering with the protocol.
“The Concussion Protocol explicitly requires that ‘only medical personnel deemed essential to the care of the athlete may be present for the tent and/or locker room evaluation,” the memo obtained by PFT says. “This includes the team physician best qualified to evaluate concussion, the Club AT, and the sideline UNC. No other individuals are permitted in the tent or locker room during an evaluation. This includes coaches, front office personnel and/or other players. Clubs are responsible for ensuring compliance with this requirement.
“If a club employee or other member of the club medical staff knowingly and materially fails to follow a mandatory step of the Game Day Checklist, the club and individual violating the Protocol will be subject to discipline as set forth in the CBA. In addition, a club employee or other member of the club medical staff knowingly, willfully and materially interfering with or preventing a concussion examination shall constitute a violation of the NFL Concussion Game Day Checklist and will subject the club to discipline. Discipline may include reprimand, remedial training, fines and/or the loss of draft picks if it is determined that competitive considerations motivated the club’s failure to comply with the Protocol.”
Will the NFL fine Brian Daboll, Giants for Jaxson Dart’s concussion incident?
Even though Brian Daboll and the Giants organization apologized for the incident, the NFL is still reviewing what happened to determine if the head coach will be fined for his actions.
Daboll stated that he wasn’t trying to get Dart cleared prematurely, but his actions stemmed from not knowing the quarterback’s status and wanting clarity about his condition.