Neuroscientist Wants NFL to Investigate Josh Allen's Apparent Injury; The league and players' union say protocol was followed

CNN
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Neuroscientist Chris Nowinski said he wants the NFL to investigate the apparent head injury suffered by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday that Allen “was cleared and returned to play” after being evaluated by the medical staff for concussions and chest and ankle injuries.

Allen's head hit the turf after a tackle in the fourth quarter and lay motionless before being knocked over by his teammates.

The QB left the field and was directed to the medical tent on the sideline, where doctors were examining the players' injuries. After leaving the blue tent, Allen appeared to be offered smelling salts, which make players feel more alert before entering the field.

McDermott added that Allen would not start the week in the concussion protocol.

“The more I watch this video, the more disturbing I am about what happened,” Nowinski, co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, told CNN's Brianna Keilar and Boris Sanchez.

“When Josh Allen went down, he raises his left arm to protect his head, which is a natural movement when you're falling like that, and then after his head bounces so high off the ground, that arm goes limping away and You see his wrist get caught on the ground, which can break your wrist.

“That's something that any athlete would avoid if they were aware of it, so I really think he was unconscious for a moment after that hit… From an ethical perspective, the idea that he was trying to be a hero was and no one told him, 'Hey dude.' “You were knocked unconscious, your teammates had to turn you over,” it really makes you wonder what happened here and it needs to be investigated.”

Nowinski, a former college football player and WWE wrestler, added that “the optics of getting smelling salts as you leave the tent are an absolute disaster and shouldn't happen.”

He said: “The idea that it's anywhere near the blue tent when someone is being assessed for a concussion is terrible, so I hope we never see that again and I hope there's a rule change, that comes with it.”

CNN reached out to the NFL and the Bills for comment on Monday.

On Friday, the league and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) released a joint statement saying both companies were satisfied with how the situation was handled and that the concussion protocol process was followed.

“The NFL and NFLPA have reviewed the reports from the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant and Booth Spotter and these reports confirm that the steps required in the concussion protocol were followed in the evaluation and clearance of Bills' quarterback Josh Allen in last Sunday's game,” it said the statement reads.

“The protocol was developed jointly and is co-administered by the NFL and NFLPA. As part of the program, the parties will jointly identify, retain and train independent neurotrauma counselors and stand spotters.”

Allen said in his postgame press conference that he felt “well enough to go back into the game” after the incident.