NFL says it is reviewing an apparent head injury incident involving DeVante Parker during Monday’s Patriots game
By Kevin Dotson, CNN
The NFL and the NFL Players Association are looking into an incident in which an apparent head injury to New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker seemingly went unnoticed by medical staff and spotters, league spokesman Brian McCarthy tells CNN.
In the first quarter of Monday night’s game between the Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals, Parker appeared shaky on his feet after a blow to the head. The game would have continued if not for Patriots teammate Nelson Agholor, who noticed Parker appeared wobbly and signaled the officials to halt the game just before the next snap.
The situation left many wondering why the league’s ATC spotters, whose job it is to monitor the game for possible head injuries, did not signal to halt the game for Parker to receive medical attention. McCarthy says the league is working “to understand the sequence of events.”
“Get on yalls f**kin job @nfl,” said Parker in an Instagram story Tuesday. “Thankful my brother was aware of the situation @nelsonagholor_15.”
Speaking on his weekly radio interview with WEEI 93.7, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked about an incident.
“When those plays happen, the player on the field and his teammates around him — because they’re right there next to him — have a better idea if a player’s … how he’s doing compared to somebody that’s 30, 40 yards away,” Belichick said.
“You know, if you’re sure there’s something wrong, then you address it, the players should address it right away, but if you get a hit and it stuns you for a second or two then everything pops back into normal, then that happens out there plenty of times too. I don’t think you want people running on the field after every play. But ultimately, I feel like the players made the right decision.”
CNN has reached out to the NFLPA for more information.
The Patriots beat the Cardinals 27-13 in a game which also saw Arizona QB Kyler Murray tear his ACL in the first quarter. Murray is now set to miss the rest of the season.
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