Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis gave an inappropriate answer to a question about concussions at his weekly press conference Wednesday. When asked about the number of concussions linebacker Vontaze Burfict has suffered in his career, Lewis' response baffled many in the room, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Marvin Lewis misses the mark entirely on concussions
Marvin Lewis thinks concussions “linger longer” now and blames the media for the increased attention on head injuries.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
“I coached defenses and linebackers for a long time and concussions didn’t linger. Now we have found that because of the media and things they seem to linger longer. There’s a lot of attention paid to it. I don’t know why they linger longer. I don’t remember them lingering like they do now.”
Lewis’ perspective doesn’t match with the league’s renewed emphasis on proper concussion diagnosis and protocol. He also appeared to be partly blaming the media for the increased attention that head injuries have received in recent years, an indictment that likely won’t make him any friends in the industry.
While Lewis can hardly be excused for his insensitive remarks, it’s worth noting that coaches have little involvement in the concussion protocol. Team doctors proceed through the proper steps with concussed players during the week, and an independent neurologist has to clear them to play on Sunday.
Regardless, Lewis’ comments are disturbing in light of the objection to the NFL concussion settlement filed Tuesday by the family of former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson. The objection criticizes the proposal for limitations on compensating players or their families in cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has been found in the brains of dozens of deceased NFL players and has been linked to repeated brain trauma such as concussions.
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