Jaguars running back Bernard Pierce was caught blocking for the Buccaneers during a punt return in Sunday's game. His block for the opposing team actually helped spring Tampa Bay's Bobby Rainey loose as he returned the ball for 58 yards.
Go home Bernard Pierce you're drunk! #Fail #tampabay #JAXvsTB #jacksonville pic.twitter.com/5ygMGMdGa1
— KneeDeepInSports (@OfficialKDIS) October 13, 2015MORE: Best Week 5 performances | Hometown hate in Week 5
After the game, Pierce didn't have an explanation for his gaffe.
“I can’t really explain it," he told reporters Sunday. "I really don’t have an answer for it."
Many people, and websites, pointed out the mistake and laughed at it. But the jokes stopped during Monday's press conference when Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said Pierce is currently in the concussion protocol.
Bradley even went as far as to say his mistake may have been linked to the concussion. Here's how the interaction went down.
Reporter: "The Pierce play. How bad is that?"
Bradley: "It is. It’s not a good play at all. When I saw it I couldn’t believe it, but I know he’s in the concussion protocol. I know after the game he had concussion symptoms. That’s where I’ll leave it at that, the play itself if you watched it."
Reporter: "Did he have a concussion before that play?"
Bradley: "I don’t know. I imagine so. ...Yeah, I’m sure, I mean he’s in the concussion protocol. It’s just unfortunate that he had those symptoms and that play happened."
The reporter then asked if a sideline doctor looked at him to diagnose a concussion during the game.
Bradley: "I don't know when it occurred, how it occurred. I just know he had a concussion."
If Pierce did indeed play with a concussion then this is a bad look for the Jaguars and the NFL. The league is facing a lot of pressure lately to make the game safer and detect concussions as early as possible.
