Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa exited early in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering a head injury. The defenseman went into concussion protocol and ultimately did not return. Via Daniel Popper, Head coach Brandon Staley told reporters after the game that Bosa actually cleared the concussion protocols, but Staley opted to keep Bosa out due to his history with concussions.
Joey Bosa was cleared of a concussion, but Brandon Staley said he decided to keep Bosa out of the game because of his concussion history. "As long as I'm the head coach here," Staley said, "I'm going to be making decisions like that in the best interest of our players."
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) December 5, 2021
“As long as I'm the head coach here, I'm going to be making decisions like that in the best interest of our players.”
It's certainly a respectable move from Staley to have pulled Bosa from this one. The Ohio State product has missed games due to multiple concussions already in his NFL career, so even though he didn't sustain another one on Sunday, Staley wasn't willing to jeopardize his long-term health by putting him at risk of getting hit in the area again.
The Chargers' lead also likely made that decision a bit earlier, as Los Angeles had jumped out to a healthy lead in the first half of the game, although Cincinnati fought back at one point later on.
Still, Staley doesn't care if removing Bosa from the game gives his team a worse chance at winning, so long as it protects the health of his player, particularly a player who has dealt with head injuries before. More coaches need to prioritize this type of thinking, as there are 53 players on a roster for a reason. Even though Bosa was able to play, and probably was itching to get back out there, Staley made the decision to prioritize player safety.
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