Robert Griffin III and concussions in the NFL

One of the most discussed topics in the week leading up to Week 6 in the NFL was the health of Robert Griffin III, the Washington Redskins’ star rookie quarterback.

Griffin suffered a concussion in Week 5 of Washington’s 24-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Once the game ended, speculation overwhether Griffin would play the following week began.

He ended up playing this week, and playing very well. Griffin threw for 182 yards, ran for 138 yards, and accounted for two touchdowns in his team’s 38-26 win. His performance was not emblematic of a man who’d been knocked out of a football game just one week earlier.

Despite the strong performance, I still think Washington made the wrong call by playing him this week.

Concussions have been arguably the most talked about topic in football over the past few years. Last week, concussed Kansas City Chiefs tight end Kevin Boss was ruled out for the remainder of the season. He’s one of many players to have had their careers, and sometimes lives, ruined by concussions.

It’s gotten to the point where the longevity of the NFL has come into question.

So when I heard that the face of the Redskins franchise, the player that they gave up three first round picks and a second round pick for and anointed as their starter from the moment he arrived in Washington, was starting this week in a relatively meaningless game when considering the situation from a long-term view, I was disappointed.

I know Griffin passed all the concussion tests, and that every game in the NFL matters, but I can’t agree with putting your organization’s best player – who happens to be vulnerable – in a situation that may cause him harm.

I think in the coming days we’ll hear from many that the Redskins made the right choice because of his performance Sunday. I disagree with this line of thinking. It’s an argument based on the outcome of a decision, rather than an argument based on the process of a decision.

One little variable changes, and the narrative changes drastically. Can you imagine the vitriol towards the Redskins organization if Griffin had suffered a head injury in the game? Instead of people blabbering about how Washington made the right decision to start Griffin, the collective football community would have torched the Redskins’ organization for their mistreatment of the situation.

Obviously this story was brought to the limelight because of the status of the player. Many players suffer concussions in one week, and then return the next with no complaints about player safety being made.

Because of this, perhaps the NFL needs to make more definitive rules on concussion treatment. What if a player, in addition to having to pass the team’s concussion tests, was required to sit at least one week following a concussion. At the least, the NFL would be sending a message to its fans that they’re taking concussions very seriously, and doing everything possible to ensure player safety in the league.