The New England Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, but in the process, they lost WR DeVante Parker to a concussion. With that being said, the concussion spotter didn't do their job right as Nelson Agholor had to actually wave down the refs to let them know something was wrong with his teammate, who got up wobbly after a hit in the first quarter.
As a result, the NFL and the NFLPA are investigating the situation, per Ian Rapoport. Of course, head injuries have been a huge topic of concern this season in the NFL, especially after the Tua Tagovailoa saga. The fact that Agholor had to notify officials that Parker wasn't okay to keep playing is wrong in itself. ATC spotters are literally there to keep an eye on any players who look like they've sustained concussions. The league has become a lot more serious about any head injury, but in this situation, the system failed miserably.
A failure by the concussion spotter. DeVante Parker could not stand up straight after hitting the ground. Nelson Agholor took a knee and was flailing desperately to try to get the play stopped for Parker. pic.twitter.com/TtjfOqyEbH
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) December 13, 2022
DeVante Parker ultimately didn't return. The incident happened after he caught a pass down the middle from Mac Jones then Cardinals CB Antonio Gibson tackled him, with Parker's helmet hitting the ground hard. Even Troy Aikman, who is no stranger to head trauma, noticed on the broadcast that Parker wasn't okay.
“Oh, he's a little banged up,” Aikman said. “They're gonna be watching him — somebody upstairs should be. He looked a little wobbly coming up after he comes up off the ground.”
The NFL will do their due diligence here, as they should. As for Parker, we'll see how he progresses as the week goes on. The Patriots are back in action Sunday against Las Vegas Raiders. He's been an important piece of the New England offense.
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