According to Dr. Shaun Fletcher, the NFL “justifiably tends to face criticism when it comes to prioritizing player health and safety.” However, he acknowledges the efficacy of their “injury response protocol.” As noted by Dr. Fletcher, the first responders who treated Damar Hamlin are required by the NFL to attend every game, although they’re rarely actually needed. “In these situations, protocol and decision-making can be quite layered.” When it comes to making the initial decisions, the coaches and field officials make the first calls before seeking intervention from the league office. Fletcher spoke further about the league’s response time, saying, “While the NFL tends to exude a position of omnipresence, they learn many things shortly before the viewing audience. The immediate condition of Damar was playing out in real time to league officials as well as the viewing TV audience … No substantive information is being relayed to the commissioners office at the time beyond general actions being taken on the scene.”
Read Related Also: Queensland Maroons vs NSW Blues – State of Origin Game 1: Live scores and updates from Adelaide Oval
Dr. Fletcher continued, “Speaking from firsthand experience, the flow of information doesn’t move as quickly as many believe with a large operation such as the NFL. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the NFL mishandled critical decisions. Ultimately, the correct decision was made to postpone the game and allow the players to leave.” Ultimately, he finds “much of the external criticism to be unfounded.”
