Why are the NFL & NFLPA reviewing the handling of DeVante Parker’s concussion and what’s Ataxia?

With a justified increase in the focus on player safety where concussions are concerned, perhaps it can be taken as a positive sign, that the league and player’s association are responding so quickly.

NFL & NFLPA to review response to DeVante Parker’s injury

According to reports, the NFL and the NFL Players Association have initiated a review process of why officials in Monday’s game between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals didn’t bring play to halt, nor did medical personnel or concussion spotters, when Patriots WR DeVante Parker, appeared to stumble following a heavy hit in the first half. Indeed, play continued as the Patriots were attempting to rush a snap in the hopes of avoiding a review of the play, which could potentially have overturned the catch Parker made while taking the hit. At that point, teammate and fellow wideout Nelson Agholor could be seen waving his hands to stop the game to allow Parker to leave the field.

The NFL’s concussion problem

Remember Tua Tagovailoa and the way in which his concussion was handled back on September 25th when they played the Buffalo Bills. At the time, Tagovailoa’s head was quite brutally slammed in to the ground, after which he could be seen stumbling while trying to return to the line of scrimmage. The Dolphins QB was then allowed to return for the second half of the game and even cleared to play just four days later against the Bengals. What happened then? Tagovailoa hit his head once more and suffered concussion. That time, however, Tagovailoa was didn’t get up or stumble, but rather lay - fingers contorted - in a state of shock. Needless to say, he was rushed to the hospital.

The result of that terrible chronology of events, was an NFL/NFLPA review of the handling of it all, which eventually led to the firing of the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant for the Bills game, as well as an amendment which was made to the concussion protocol. Interestingly, a key part of that amendment was the addition of Ataxia to the list of symptoms that would warrant a player being taken out of the game. Defined as by the league and the players’ union as an “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue,” the joint statement read. “In other words, if a player is diagnosed with ‘ataxia’ by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol.” To date Parker had 25 receptions for 460 yards and one touchdown on the season - his first in New England.