Concussion campaigners have blasted the decision to allow Josh Allen to return to the field just minutes after the Bills quarterback suffered a sickening blow to the head against the Texans.
Allen’s head bounced off the grass after a tackle during Buffalo’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday. The quarterback was left face down, his left wrist bent in the turf, after the brutal blow to the head.
Concerned teammates stood over Allen before he went to the medical tent for evaluation, but returned to the game soon after.
It comes just weeks after Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion and Chris Nowinski – a neuroscientist and founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation – condemned the “crazy” and “risky” decision.
‘It’s crazy that Josh Allen was put back in after this goal. Even if he says he’s fine, why would the franchise QB bet that concussion symptoms won’t be delayed?’ he wrote on social media.
Josh Allen made a controversial return to the field after suffering a sickening blow to the head
Concerned teammates stood over the quarterback after his head bounced off the ground
“Beyond protocol, how do we take these kinds of risks just a few weeks after another Tua concussion?”
Nowinski added, “Fact: All #concussion protocols are imperfect. If I saw a player’s head bounce 18 inches from the turn and fold his left wrist as Allen did here, I would call that “no protective action when falling,” a sign of a concussion. I would at least leave him out for the game. Why aren’t we careful?’
Earlier on Sunday, the Panthers’ Tommy Tremble appeared to be knocked unconscious after taking a blow to the head.
Another clip from the Bills-Texas game, meanwhile, appeared to show Allen being handed something by a member of the bench before returning to the field. Sports doctor Jesse Morse claimed it smelled salty and called for a ‘huge punishment’ over the decision to allow Allen to continue playing.
After his return, Allen was unable to prevent the Bills from suffering a 23-20 loss
“Josh Allen appears to have suffered a concussion, they gave him smelling salts and then allowed him to return to the game,” he said.
“This should be a HUGE PUNISHMENT and VERY risky to Josh Allen’s health. He could have suffered another concussion, which could have caused second impact syndrome, which can be fatal.”
After the trainers ran onto the field, Allen reportedly lay down for about 20 seconds before sitting up and walking away.
However, after CJ Stroud’s dramatic fumble, Allen reportedly tried to run out of the tent but was pulled back inside.
Mitch Trubisky briefly replaced him under center, but soon Allen put on his helmet and continued running. He couldn’t prevent the Bills from suffering a 23-20 loss.