As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Montreal Alouettes.
Already occupying the basement of the Canadian Football League with one win in their first eight games this season, the Als received more bad news Wednesday.
Quarterback Johnny Manziel has been placed under the CFL’s concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head last week against Ottawa.
It was Manziel’s second career start in the league and will keep him out of action for an unknown length of time.
The Alouettes released a statement Wednesday, saying, “In view of the hit he received on Saturday and the potential mitigating side effects of his prescribed medication, the Alouettes medical staff has placed Manziel under the CFL concussion protocol for further observation and precautionary reasons. Manziel will be closely observed and assessed in the next few days.”
I’m not a doctor, but the team and the league don’t look too good at this juncture because Manziel was allowed to continue playing after being evaluated on the sidelines after the hit.
He didn’t even miss a play.
Now, maybe he didn’t exhibit any concussion-like symptoms, but doctors, trainers, team and league officials are well aware that symptoms can arise well after a hit to the head.
Maybe it’s time for the CFL, and other leagues for that matter, to remove players from games after they’ve been hit in the head.
It’s not the perfect answer, but isn’t the most important thing in this debate the health of the individual?
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