Jalen Hurts on concussion evaluation: ‘I think I beat the protocol’

Late in the first half of Thursday night’s win over the Commanders, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ended up in the medical tent for a preliminary concussion evaluation.

By halftime, Hurts was out of the tent and jogging to the locker room.

He was asked about the evaluation after the match.

“I think I broke the protocol,” Hurts said.

He was asked if he knows how he did it.

“I broke protocol,” Hurts said.

Was he surprised to be evaluated?

“It happens,” Hurts said. “Was I surprised? I don’t know.”

It was surprising that he ended up in the tent when he did. It was surprising that he didn’t end up in the tent after the failed trick play that resulted in Hurts’ head whipsawing to the ground. He struggled to get up. That seemed more than enough to check him out. That didn’t happen — despite the various people present at the game for the sole purpose of monitoring players for potential concussion evaluations.

As for Hurts’ reference to beating the protocol, he and all players need to realize that the protocol is there for their own good. Most players see it as an obstacle to overcome, an obstacle to what they are trying to do.

That makes it all the more important that the NFL view the concussion evaluation not as a checklist, but as health care. In many cases, it is involuntary healthcare.

If it’s healthcare at all.