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Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre gave some advice to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a concussion on Sunday.
Be careful.
Favre realizes that Mahomes will want to play. Favre spent most of his career in an era before the NFL took concussions seriously. For him, playing or not playing due to a head injury was never an issue. Now, Favre preaches caution to football players.
“I played 321 games in a row, it kind of goes against everything I defended when I played,” Favre told TMZ.com. “But you have to be smart. You have to be smart. I have never been faced with the decision he potentially faces this week. Ultimately, the decision may fall to doctors. And if they decide he doesn’t play, then it’s the right move, because of the long-term damage. “
Essentially, doctors may need to protect Mahomes from themselves.
“When you’re in the moment and you’re young, you’re bulletproof, man,” said Favre. “But I’m 51 years old and I wonder what tomorrow will bring, more because of concussions than anything else.”
The focus on concussions has declined in recent years, now that everyone knows the risks – and now that very few professional football players choose not to play professional football during a concussion. Regardless, the league has specific rules about a player’s ability to return after suffering a concussion. Will Mahomes be able to return after just seven days?
“This is a test for the NFL, now,” said Favre. “Seeing a star in a crucial game, what will happen to their decision. . . . The protocol is in effect. Let’s see if they follow. “
It would not have been a problem in Favre’s day. Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged this on Monday when discussing the situation with journalists.
“There was a chance on the day that Patrick came back [the game], ”Reid said. “You saw him run through the tunnel. When he got to that point, he was feeling pretty good. But there is a certain protocol that you have to follow and that takes that away from the coach, the player and the doctor. “
But there is still influence that the player can have on the process.
“Suffice to say that he has a headache on Friday, but [the] in the last three or four days he’s been fine, ”said Favre of Mahomes. “Is he going to tell them? I doubt it. He wants to play. . . . For years, until 10 years ago, there was no protocol in place, and when you were feeling better – which could last three or four hours – you were playing again. He will want to play. “
He will definitely want to play. The team will want him to play. So, in 2009, the NFL took the decision out of the hands of the team’s doctors (who were sometimes inclined to release a player to play to remain the team’s doctor).
In this specific case, the league will want Mahomes to play. The question is whether this will have any impact on the judgment exercised by the neurologist who is independent of the team, but not the league.