DECEMBER 13: Watt has been officially cleared by an independent neurological consultant and is no longer in concussion protocol, per the team’s senior director of communications Burt Lauten. There is still the matter of the NFL and the NFL Players Association’s review of the Steelers’ handling of his concussion check in the team’s Week 14 contest with the Patriots, but Watt’s removal from the protocol likely hints at no issue.
After Watt took a knee to the head from Elliott and returned after a brief check-in on the sideline, he reported concussion like-symptoms the next day. Obviously a potentially dangerous situation, the league decided it would investigate how the team handled Watt’s potential head injury. We’ve seen lots of seemingly concussed players come out of protocol within a week, so despite his clearance, Watt still may have suffered a concussion and returned to play. The league and the NFLPA has set out to determine whether or not that is the case.
DECEMBER 9: The Steelers’ depth on the edge could be tested next weekend. Following news that pass-rusher Alex Highsmith was placed in concussion protocol, the Steelers have announced that T.J. Watt has also been placed in protocol (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
The Highsmith news didn’t come as a huge surprise. The linebacker exited Thursday’s loss to the Patriots with a neck injury and didn’t end up returning to the game.
The Watt development is a bit more unexpected. The star defender briefly exited Thursday’s game after taking a knee to the face from Ezekiel Elliott on the first play from scrimmage. Florio writes that Watt was briefly checked for a concussion before being cleared to return on the same drive. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that the medical staff also took an extended look at Watt’s jaw/mouth, and Florio says Watt was spotted wearing a tinted visor at one point.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic passes along that Watt arrived at the team facility yesterday with symptoms, necessitating his placement into concussion protocol. Both Watt and Highsmith will now need to be cleared by an independent neurologist before returning to practice.
Fortunately, the Steelers have time on their side. Kaboly notes that the Steelers are off the next three days. They’ll resume practices on Tuesday in preparation for their Week 15 game against the Colts next Saturday night.
The NFL loves fining players, so why not fine the medical staff for letting him back in the game? Or fine the team, something.
It’s an independent medical staff that checks the players. The game was hyped as TJ Watt and the Steelers vs. Bill Belicheck and the Patriots. I wonder how he got cleared even after asking for a tinted visor
You’re right, I forgot that. And we know the league won’t fine themselves.
Not remotely surprised. They showed him doing smelling salts on the sideline in the middle of the game. Clearly wasn’t right.
If you’re going to call out the sideline consultants, or the teams, do your homework, first.
As many people know, signs and symptoms of a concussion are often delayed for hours, or even days after a blow to the head area. Unless you are proposing that all teams perform full CT scans in the medical tent, the neurologists can only evaluate players for concussion based on symptoms at the time of the brief sideline examination.
Doctors and the team now know that Watt suffered a concussion because he LATER began to experience the outward symptoms, which would include things like dizziness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headache, irritability, ringing in the ears, memory loss, etc.
The point of the independent sideline neurologists is to screen players for immediate signs of concussion. The fear was that team-employed medical staff were motivated to ignore those immediate, obvious signs. If Watt was cleared by the independent consultant to re-enter the game, that tells you that his symptoms were delayed. There’s nothing to fine teams or the neurologists for.
Google TJ Watt 2019, 2020,2021 & 2023 season and click on imagine. Only once, Thursday night-after the hit none the less, did he have a tinted mask. You can’t ignore that fact.
What homework? Everything you stated is common knowledge. He showed signs during the game and if you don’t think so then you’re kidding yourself.
I just wonder if the league will investigate this because I said during the game oh he must have a concussion when I saw him getting the dark visor, because your eyes are sensitive to light with a concussion. That’s a shame they risk a players health like that.
If the Steelers don’t get ride of Tomlin I hope TJ gets traded because he deserves better. This team isn’t even trying to compete for Championships, and I’m a lifelong Steeler fan, 55 years!
Yeah, I go back to the draft of Mean Joe, Bradshaw and the gang
But that said, how would the Steelers ever fire or trade Tomlin? The authors of the Rooney Rule and a franchise that has had success under Tomlin—the guy has a record that’s almost unheard of in the NFL regardless of recent problems—and a minority coach. I can’t even begin to think of the PR nightmare the Steelers would have
I fell off the Tomlin train a couple years ago only in the idea that I think his stubborn streak has limited the team where personnel and strategy are concerned. Beyond that, I think Ryan Clark is 100% correct in saying that his coaching style was well received with players a generation ago but seems to get filtered out by the diva-like players now in the league. Clark believes that he has to change in terms of how to communicate and in how the game is now played. I just feel that an ego which believes he is always right precludes change
I like Watt. I think the guy is one of a handful that go hard each snap. But I think there are a lot of guys who are mailing it in. Minkah has said as much. That’s on Tomlin, too
Totally agree with everything you said but I don’t think Tomlin’s ego will let him relinquish his obsessive control and no way does Rooney have the stones to force him out. He leaves when he is dam good and ready and the hell with the fans!
if the winning season streak snaps, I do think Tomlin will get traded
. but until that point, steelers are stuck with him.
so on that note, Go Colts!
The league should hold him out at least a week in order to send a message to other teams. Do I think they’ll do that? No. Not if the Joe Burrow mystery injury investigation is any indicator…