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Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is in the concussion protocol. What does that mean?
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- Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is in the concussion protocol. What does that mean?
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is in the NFL concussion protocol for the second time in two seasons after a frightening hit he sustained by Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on Sunday in a 23-20 loss to the Texans at EverBank Stadium.
Lawrence was put into the protocol following last year's game against the Baltimore Ravens but was able to play in the next game against the Tampa Bay Bucs .
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Lawrence was seen walking with his wife Marissa out of the Jaguars locker room after the game and coach Doug Pederson's five-word response was "Trevor's going to be fine."
But it won't be that easy. Lawrence and any NFL player who goes into the league's concussion protocol has to go through a long list of examinations and tests before he's cleared. The process also involves doctors independent of the team.
What is the NFL Concussion Protocol?
According to nfl.com, the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee, a board of independent and NFL-affiliated physicians and scientists and NFL Players Association Advisors, developed the "NFL Game Day Concussion Diagnosis and Management Protocol" in 2011.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is carted off the field after sustaining a heavy hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
When a player is impacted on the head area by a hit or by making contact with the field, he goes into the concussion protocol if he is unconscious, or exhibits or reports symptoms of abnormal speech, balance issues, motor skills, blurred vision and head or neck pain.
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Another symptom is the "fencing posture," in which players hold one arm out and the other close to their body, sometimes with the fingers played in unusual positions such as what has happened to Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Lawrence also displayed a brief "fencing" posture.
The team's training and medical staff, game officials, coaches, teammates, a sideline Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant or booth UNC can also report symptoms and the player must be removed from the field after he is stabilized.
A third "booth" UNC was added to the process in 2018 to monitor every NFL game by video.
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If the team physician and sideline UNC determines a player's instability to be neurologically caused, the player is designated a "No-Go" and may not return.
What happens to the player the following week?
The NFL's "Return to Participation Protocol" requires all players evaluated for concussions on game day to have follow-up evaluations the next day by the team's medical staff.
The player is further evaluated during the week, with his past history from concussions, past medical history, past family medical history and future risk before being cleared to play. There is no timetable.
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The player must be cleared by not only the team physician but and independent neurological consultant (INC) approved by both the NFL and the NFLPA. That INC must not have any affiliation with an NFL team and has the final say on whether a player can resume practice or play in the next game.
There is a five-step process for players to return, with evaluations at every step.
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Evaluation of symptoms.
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Begin aerobic exercise and stretching.
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Begin non-contact football-specific drills and weight training.
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Begin non-contact team drills.
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Get clearance for full football practice.
What is the NFL's recent history with concussions?
A National Institute of Health study estimated that there was an average of 126.33 reported concussions from 2002-2007. The number has increased since the NFL Protocol began in 2011 but the NIH attributed that to better detection of symptoms and more reporting of players who had concussions.
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There were 213 concussions reported in 2022 and 219 last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen wears the "Guardian cap," or a padded cover for a helmet, during an Oct. 6 game against Indianapolis. Hines-Allen had been in the NFL's concussion protocol the week before the game.
The NFL did not have the number for the regular season but the 44 concussions reported in the preseason were down 24 percent from 2023 and more than half as many as in the 2017 preseason (91).
In addition, players who wore the Guardian caps had a 50 percent decrease in concussions in the preseason.
How many concussions have the Jaguars reported in 2024?
Prior to Lawrence's concussion, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen was in the protocol the week before the game against Indianapolis on Oct. 6 and offensive tackle Cam Robinson was in it prior to the Green Bay Packers game on Oct. 27.
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Both players were cleared and on the active roster for the game. Hines-Allen had a sack against the Colts and Robinson was benched for Walker Little .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence hit puts him in NFL's concussion protocol. What that means?
