Concussion advocates have criticized the decision to allow Josh Allen to return to the field minutes after the Bills quarterback suffered a sickening blow to the head against the Texans.
Allen’s head bounced off the turf after a tackle during Buffalo’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday. The quarterback was left face down, with his left wrist bent against the grass, after the brutal blow to the head.
Concerned teammates stood by Allen before he headed to the medical tent for evaluation, only to return to the game shortly after.
It comes just weeks after Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion and Chris Nowinski, a neuroscientist and founding executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, criticized the decision as “crazy” and “risky.”
“It’s crazy that Josh Allen is back after this hit. Even if he says he’s fine, why bet the franchise quarterback that the concussion symptoms won’t be delayed?” he wrote on social media.
Josh Allen controversially returned to the field after suffering a disgusting blow to the head
Concerned teammates stood over the quarterback after his head bounced off the grass.
‘Protocol aside, how are we going to take risks like this just weeks after another Tua concussion?’
Nowinski added: ‘Fact: all #concussion protocols are imperfect. If you saw a player’s head bounce 18 inches on the spin and his left wrist bend like Allen did here, you’d call it “no protective action upon landing,” a sign of a concussion. At least I’d sit him down for the game. Why aren’t we cautious?
Earlier Sunday, the Panthers’ Tommy Tremble appeared to be knocked unconscious after taking a hit to the head.
Meanwhile, another clip from the Bills-Texas game appeared to show Allen receiving something from a member of the bench before returning to the field. Sports doctor Jesse Morse claimed he smelled like salts and called for a “huge penalty” for the decision to let Allen continue playing.
Upon his return, Allen was unable to prevent the Bills from suffering a 23-20 loss.
“Josh Allen appears to have SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, was given SMELL SALTS and then allowed to return to the game,” he said.
‘This should be a HUGE PENALTY and VERY risky for Josh Allen’s health. He could have suffered another concussion which could have caused second impact syndrome, which can be fatal.’
After coaches rushed onto the field, Allen allegedly lay down for about 20 seconds before sitting up and leaving.
However, after CJ Stroud’s dramatic fumble, Allen allegedly attempted to run out of the store, only to be dragged back inside.
Mitch Trubisky briefly replaced him at center, but Allen soon put on his helmet and ran again. He couldn’t prevent the Bills from suffering a 23-20 loss.