Why The NFL Concussion Protocol Should Include Time Requirements

In the past few seasons in the NFL, the term "concussion protocol" has become immensely popular; theoretically medical protocol, the phrase is now likely uttered at some point nearly every game by announcers and fans.

In the NFL, after a player suffers a concussion in practice or in a game, he is placed under the "concussion protocol," a system of evaluations designed to determine when a player is ready to return to play. This system is what is known in sports medicine as a "graduated exertion protocol:" a player starts by resting and recovering until he can pass basic and cognitive tests, then moves to aerobic exercise, then strength training, then non-contact football drills, then full-contact practice. Should the player be feeling normal and healthy after all of these steps, he is then evaluated by an independent neurological consultant, a neurologist not directly affiliated with an NFL tram, before he is "cleared" from the concussion protocol and allowed to rejoin the active roster.

As is true with nearly any injury, the healing process for concussions is not linear--

The actual language from the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee’s Concussion Diagnosis and Management Protocol on time states that "Each player and each concussion is unique. Therefore, there is no set time-frame for return to participation or for the progression through the steps of the graduated exercise program set forth below. Recovery time will vary from player to player." The NFL is correct that each brain injury is different, and that's an important concept to remember. But it's not why there's no set time-frame in the protocol. There's not set time-frame because the NFL wants the ability to bring back any given player at any given time, regardless of his health status.