With Dolphins' quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustaining his third major concussion earlier this season, and then Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers suffering a similar head injury two weeks ago, the NFL's protocol for recovering from brain trauma has received significant attention as of late.
Another of the league's premier skill players nearly joined their ranks last Sunday. Josh Allen went down, tweaking his chest and ankle while hitting his head on the turf, late in the Bills loss to the Texans, resulting in a trip to the sideline and into the tent.
In contrast to other players who have dealt with similar contact to the head, Allen passed concussion protocol immediately and missed just one offensive play before re-entering the game. Buffalo coach Sean McDermott confirmed the quarterback had indeed not entered the program earlier this week.
Many doctors and neuroscientists in particular were concerned with this decision, fearing it could have put Allen in danger of suffering more severe consequences than a simple lingering headache.
Here's everything to know about the quarterback's potential concussion, including how the NFL and NFLPA addressed suspicions over the his quick return from the concussion protocol in Week 5.
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Did Josh Allen have a concussion?
A statement released by the NFL and NFLPA clarifies that the correct measures were taken when allowing Allen to return to play. The release comes as a response to reports from the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant and Booth Spotters, which called for an investigation on the situation.
Joint NFL-NFLPA statement says concussion protocol was properly followed last week with #Bills QB Josh Allen. pic.twitter.com/XZ2smT6Q9y
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 11, 2024
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What did Josh Allen say about potential concussion?
Though the Bills don't play this week until Monday, Allen practiced Wednesday and spoke to reporters after training. When asked how he was feeling regarding his head, the quarterback responded matter-of-factly, restating exactly what happened.
“I obviously went into the tent,” Allen said, via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. “I can only control what I can control. What we talked about there, they deemed me cleared to play, and that’s what happened. That’s as deep as I’ll get into it.”
MORE: Giants WR draws heat for attending concert while in concussion protocol
NFL concussion protocol, explained
Players are diagnosed with a concussion as soon as symptoms are recognized. The person who first notices something wrong will initiate the protocol and begin examining the player on the sideline.
The first priority is evaluating "no-go" symptoms, such as loss of consciousness, gross motor instability, confusion, amnesia, fencing response and impact seizure along with concussion history and conducting a focused neurological exam.
If concerns of a head injury are confirmed, the player must undergo an official exam by a team doctor, unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant or athletic trainer. Then, they will either enter concussion protocol or be cleared to play.
The NFL outlines a five-step guide players must follow after sustaining a concussion. The entire process takes a different amount of time depending on the severity of the injury and the player's concussion history, among other things.
- Symptom limited activity
- Aerobic exercise
- Football-specific exercise
- Club-based non-contact training drills
- Full football activity/clearance
At first, players are asked to rest and limit anything that could aggravate symptoms. This does allow for limited stretching and light exercises under supervision. Eventually, players will work their way up to more cardio-based movements before balance testing.
MORE: How does concussion protocol work in the NFL?
After this, football-specific exercises are reintroduced and players can start working with the team for up to 30 minutes. All of this is under continued watch of the team's medical staff.
The final two stages involve getting back into throwing, catching, running and more position-specific activities. Players can also increase their exercise and training before undergoing final neuro-cognitive and balance testing. Finally, the player is cleared and may return to full activity.
