Tony Dungy Criticises NFL Concussion Protocol, After Cameron Brate injury
Another scandal involving the NFL is harming the game. Once more, the National Football League faces challenges ensuring the security of its players. Questions arise on the NFL Concussion Protocol!
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–41 on Sunday night. TE Camero Brate nevertheless sustained a concussion in the first half of the game.
TE Cameron Brate is OUT for the remainder of the game (concussion protocol). pic.twitter.com/KVRGx4Mi43
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 3, 2022
Brate left the game and returned after having a “two-minute chat talk with the [Bucs’] chief athletic trainer and team doctor,” according to sideline reporter Melissa Stark.
Here is the Cameron Brate hit in the 2nd quarter. He played the entire drive after that, getting targeted a few times, before entering concussion protocol and getting knocked out of the game for good. pic.twitter.com/HUTFAUK6AG
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) October 3, 2022
Tom Dungy On The Sidelines Criticises NFL Concussion Protocols
Since the Dolphins handled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s injury after hard hits against the Bills and Bengals, the NFL’s concussion protocol has come under fire. The Hall of Fame coach and NBC analyst Tony Dungy commented on what he has seen during the Buccaneers-Chiefs game on Sunday night, adding to the scrutiny.
“I was on the sideline very close to [Cameron] Brate,” Tony Dungy wrote on Twitter. “[O]bvious he had his bell rung. Brate shouldn’t have been allowed to return until after an evaluation. Why didn’t that happen???” https://t.co/rbAJ2x7dPU
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 3, 2022
Cameron Brate, a tight end for Tampa Bay, appeared confused following a collision with Chris Godwin, a teammate, late in the first half. Brate eventually had to leave the game due to a concussion after returning. Dungy, who watched the game from the Buccaneers bench, later described what he saw as a “broken system” on Twitter.
Broken system. I was on the sideline very close to Brate-obvious he had his bell rung. There’s a league appointed spotter in the press box who should stop play & alert the referee. Brate shouldn’t have been allowed to return until after an evaluation. Why didn’t that happen??? https://t.co/POguZtRxhp
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) October 3, 2022
“Brate had his bell rung, and I was standing quite near to him on the sidelines”, according to Dungy. “A league-appointed spotter in the press box should halt play and notify the referee. Brate shouldn’t have been let to come back before being evaluated. Why did that not occur?”
Here is the Cameron Brate hit in the 2nd quarter. He played the entire drive after that, getting targeted a few times, before entering concussion protocol and getting knocked out of the game for good. pic.twitter.com/HUTFAUK6AG
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) October 3, 2022
He added that game officials, coaches, and team physicians could also intervene in a later tweet. However, the league-appointed spotter has the authority to buzz the referee, halt play, and order that a player leaves the game to be assessed—without assessing the team with a penalty or timeout.
FYI the Buccaneers let Cameron Brate finish the game with a concussion last night. Why isn’t this a bigger story? Where is the NFLPA investigation? pic.twitter.com/12x7bl84DM
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) October 4, 2022
Following reports that Tagovailoa may have sustained two concussions in the span of five days, Dr Chris Nowinski, a neuroscientist with expertise in concussions and CTE, raged last week that the Dolphins’ coaches and medical staff ought to be sacked and imprisoned.
Late in the first half last night, Bucs TE Cameron Brate suffered an apparent head injury. A few plays later, he returned to the game. At halftime, he was placed in the concussion protocol. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy calls the system "broken." https://t.co/pIderWaO7A
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 3, 2022
Although the fact that Brate was thoroughly tested at halftime is promising, it emphasizes the necessity of having someone step in to make sure he is checked before he can return to the game. He fell on the ground in the end zone on a play that drew a pass interference penalty; if he had sustained a second head injury just after sustaining the first, it might have had very negative consequences.
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