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The NFL’s concussion spotters missed a clear instance of an injured player on the field.
Since 2012, the NFL has had athletic trainer spotters in the stands, who are hired to monitor injuries on the field and on the broadcast to make sure players don’t play with head injuries.
The AT spotter’s primary role is to observe play on the field and monitor the broadcast feed of that game to identify players who may potentially be injured on a play, with an emphasis on concussions and other head and neck injuries.
If the AT spotter observes a play that may have resulted in a concussion or injury on the field, he or she will call that team’s bench area to speak with a credentialed team physician or the head athletic trainer to relay the details of the potential injury he or she observed.
On Sunday, the spotters appeared to miss Colts QB Gardner Minshew wobbling after taking a hit to the head.
Despite Minshew’s scary situation, he was not put in the concussion protocol and was allowed to play, which led to criticism from the NFL community.
They didn’t check Gardner Minshew for a concussion after this play. Watch him after the tackle. pic.twitter.com/Vlj2P4fBCZ
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) December 10, 2023
Even the broadcast booth was surprised Minshew wasn’t checked.
“I would think that Gardner Minshew, with the way he walked back to the huddle, is going to be checked; I would be surprised if this snap goes off because he did not look real stable walking to the huddle.”
It’ll be interesting to see what the NFL has to say about the Minshew situation after today’s games.