On Nov. 22, 2015, in an NFL game between the St. Louis Rams and the Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis quarterback Case Keenum took a hit in the last minutes of play, with the score tied at 13, that resulted in a concussion. While concussions are not uncommon in the NFL, questions have been raised because Keenum was allowed to remain in play.
The hit itself was clean, but footage shows the back of Keenum’s head forcefully colliding with the turf. He immediately put both hands on his helmet, and when he tried to get up, he was dazed and unsteady, ultimately requiring help from a teammate to return to his feet.
The NFL increased the role of concussion spotters this season, allowing medical personnel to call a timeout if they feel that staff members on the field have overlooked a potential injury.
Ultimately, Keenum’s remaining minute on the field resulted in a win for Baltimore, but it is impossible to say that this would not have happened had he been removed.
The Rams only tested Keenum for a concussion after the game was over, and confirmed he had sustained injury. However, by this time, the media and commentators were shocked that Keenum had been allowed to resume play by coaches, medical personnel, and game officials.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a press release that the league had initiated a review to determine why Keenum “was not removed from the game for the necessary evaluation by a team physician or unaffiliated neuro-trauma consultant as required by our concussion protocols.”
“In the meantime, prior to this week’s games, we will reinforce with all involved the need to ensure that these injuries are properly identified and addressed in a manner consistent with our protocols,” he later added.
The NFL Players Association is also investigating, director George Atallah told ESPN.
In a Nov. 23, 2015 press conference, Rams coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that the incident had exposed flaws in the system of identifying concussions and protecting players, and that changes may have to be made in the off-season.
Fisher himself did not see Keenum hit his head, he explained, because he had turned his back to prepare for the next play. Team trainer Reggie Scott had run over to Keenum on the field, and Keenum had told him that he was all right, according to Fisher. One of the officials then sent Scott back to the sidelines, warning that the Rams would be charged with a timeout if he stayed on the field.
The independent spotter is able to call a timeout when the trainer has not gone onto the field, but Fisher said that the confusion may have stemmed from the fact that Scott had gone onto the field, and this was why the spotter did not request a medical timeout, the New York Times reports.
“There are no TV replays on our sideline, and we did not see it on the Jumbotron,” Fisher explained. “Had we seen that, then we would’ve taken a different course of action.”
This incident has raised concerns that, despite the NFL’s public proclamations that it takes head injuries seriously, the application of these policies may not be as consistent as it should to protect players from the long-term impacts of repeated head injuries.
ESPN reported on Nov. 29, 2015 that the NFL will not discipline the St. Louis Rams for their handling of Keenum’s concussion.