The New York Giants, their head coach Brian Daboll, and running back Cam Skattebo have each reportedly been fined. They broke concussion protocol when assessing rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in their Week 6 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 9. The league’s investigation revealed that while the Giants’ medical staff followed proper protocol, Daboll and Skattebo’s actions led to the penalties.
Dart clutched his helmet after a late hit in the third quarter. As the medical staff assessed him for a concussion. He was escorted to the blue medical tent for evaluation. Worried for Dart’s health and safety, Daboll headed to the medical tent to confirm that Dart was okay.
“I’ll say this, like I said last night, I went in, didn’t actually go in, just stuck my head in to see how our quarterback was doing. Just asked him, ‘How you doing?’” – Brian Daboll
Additionally, Skattebo entered the tent as well. He explained later that he meant for that to be a purely exploratory inquiry, just to get a sense of how Dart was doing amidst the evaluation process.
Despite the Giants initially rejecting the claim, the NFL and the NFL Players Association ultimately determined that all steps of the required concussion protocol were followed by the Giants’ medical staff. This compliance was consistent with the union’s collective bargaining agreement. While Daboll and Skattebo each received fines for their roles in the incident, the league has reportedly cleared Dart of sustaining a concussion.
In light of the controversy, Daboll reiterated his concern for player safety and respect for the concussion protocol.
Ideally, I would never want a player to come back when he was not completely ready to get on the field. I have great respect for that whole process,” he said.
The unfortunate incident underscores the critical need for NFL teams to strictly enforce concussion protocols. The collective bargaining agreement mandates specific procedures designed to protect players from returning to the field too soon after head injuries.
As for Skattebo, he wouldn’t promise anything more, so please stay tuned to find out how this all plays out.
“It’s like I told you, no comment. They acted and it’s done with,” he said.
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