Timeline for the Return to Participation Protocal

Quoted from the link below.

Quote:

Each player and each concussion is unique. Therefore, there is no set timeframe for return to participation or for the progression through the steps of the graduated exertion program set forth below. Recovery time will vary from player to player.

Since, in a typical game week, you have until Friday afternoon to designate a player's status for a Sunday game, I'm guessing most clubs have no reason not to take a deliberate pace with bringing a player back slowly.

But as far as I can see, there's nothing in principle that prevents a player concussed on Sunday from playing on the following Thursday. At least, not as the rules are currently written - if new rules are coming down the pipe, that might change.
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A player who enters the protocol on Sunday could progress through the stages quickly enough to play on Thursday. As a practical matter, it would be very difficult, and quite risky for the player, the team, and the League.

The Tagovailoa situation illustrated a different aspect of the same question. One of the allegations raised by the Union is that the Dolphins may have maneuvered to keep Tua out of the protocol against Buffalo because they knew that once he was in it, he was nearly certain to miss Thursday’s game.

By firing the independent specialist responsible for the in-game assessment, and committing to refine the protocol and improve training, the League is addressing some programmatic flaws. The allegation against Miami is more sinister, and suggests (among many uglier things) that there is a strong incentive for teams to keep players out of the protocol, especially with a Thursday game approaching.

By the way, add this to the reasons Thursday games suck, and should match teams coming off a bye if at all possible.

Pushing the season to President's Day weekend. If a team plays on a Thursday, make sure they have a bye before it. To me, that is the only acceptable solution to Thurday games. It is an 18 week season with 1 bye and would be a 19 week season with 2 byes. You get 3 Thursday night gamew on Thanksgiving. 32/2 = 16 possible weeks to have Thursday night football. Subtract 2 from the 16 because of the extra Thanksgiving Day games and you are down to 14 weeks. You don't want Thursdays games at the end of the season. You don't count opening weekend since you don't need a bye for that. I would guarantee every team a normal week off and the other would be prior to a Thursday night game. Since each team gets 2 byes, you can start around week 4 for the Thursday night games and go to week 17 with them. This truly starts the third week of the season, excluding the 1st game of the year, and ends with 3 weeks left in the season.

I'm not saying this is perfect but at least it makes sense for all involved. The NFL gets another week to broadcast football at no cost of the players salaries since they have the same amount of games. The players benefit because they get more time off so there are no more shortened weeks. The only downside is that the season drags on for one more week when the players can be home with their families. This can easily be negotiated in other areas like one less mandatory offseason week or stipends for players during those bye weeks.

aside from the protocol itself:

First: The below cannot be ignored: you cannot shoe horn a player's 'recovery' into a pre-set time frame:

Quote:

Quote: Each player and each concussion is unique. Therefore, there is no set timeframe for return to participation or for the progression through the steps of the graduated exertion program set forth below. Recovery time will vary from player to player.

Second: In addition to each player is his/her own unique profile, RTP mandates that, if progression to any more advanced step (complete rest/resume normal [NOT physical/competitive] activity; light jogging; more intense aerobic activity; return to limited practice; full practice; competition] results in recurrence of signs or symptoms, the player mustfall back to the more restrictive level.

BBB's point signals that the NFL does not take head trauma seriously, or seriously enough:

Quote:

By firing the independent specialist responsible for the in-game assessment, and committing to refine the protocol and improve training, the League is addressing some programmatic flaws. The allegation against Miami is more sinister, and suggests (among many uglier things) that there is a strong incentive for teams to keep players out of the protocol, especially with a Thursday game approaching.

The protocol is well understood and applied at most levels of competition; it has been put in place for at least the last 15 years at the HS and college level, with certain advances. It's not hard: the player's responses to the sequence tell you what is happening.

It's not about committing to refine the protocol. The protocol is well understood, with as valid an approach to addressing head trauma as medical science now is able. It's all about committing to adhere to the protocol.