Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is in the NFL's mandatory concussion protocol after his head slammed against the ground and he was hit in the helmet by Frankie Luvu in the first quarter of Sunday's loss against the Washington Commanders. He'll have to pass a series of tests before he's cleared to play again.
Doctors say the protocol is important to protect players.
The brain slamming into the skull is what causes a concussion.
Dr. Rob Franks with Rothman Orthopaedics, who isn't treating Hurts, says concussions usually don't show up on imaging. They're diagnosed by checking symptoms in things like vision, balance and memory.
"Degree of hit doesn't really matter, where you're hit doesn't really matter, how hard you're hit doesn't really matter," Franks said. "It really is what you look like when you get up."
Something didn't look right on the field, and now Hurts is going through a series of evaluations in the strict NFL protocol. The tests check for headache, nausea and dizziness and assess memory, he said.
Hurts will have to pass the NFL's five-step concussion process, which includes mental and physical evaluations, before he's cleared to play.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday he would "lean on the doctors to let us know on a daily basis of where [Hurts] is."
Franks said depending on the severity, concussion treatments have changed from rest to getting athletes moving. The strict precautions are necessary, he said, because concussions are tricky to diagnose, and after one, players become more susceptible to more damage.
"The bottom line is it is a collision sport, no getting around it," Franks said. "You are going to get hit."
When Hurts gets through the NFL's concussion protocol, an independent neurologist assigned to the team will make the final decision on whether he's cleared to play.
The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 1 p.m. in South Philadelphia.
