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Philadelphia Eagles Lose Quarterback Temporarily To Brain Injury

Football season has just gotten under way, but the Philadelphia Eagles have already had more than their fair share of heartbreak after star quarterback Michael Vick was taken out of Sunday’s game with a concussion. Depending on how serious the brain injury turns out to be, it could take weeks before Vick is allowed to play again, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The Philadelphia quarterback was injured when he was pushed into a teammate during the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Falcons, which the Eagles ended up losing. The two Eagles players banged helmets, which caused Vick to leave the game after suffering a neck injury and concussion. He also bit his tongue, which is reportedly why he was seen spitting blood.

The NFL has many mandated post-concussion tests that players must pass before returning to play, so it is unclear if Vick will be returning to the field on Sunday when the Eagles take on the New York Giants in their home opener.’

Reportedly, Vick begged the Eagles’ medical staff to let him back into the game Sunday, but he was not allowed even though the concussion appeared to be only mild. Before he will be allowed to play again, Vick will have to be cleared by an independent neurologist.

In recent years, the NFL has made changes to its protocol following concussions, which many feel is a positive thing. The current rules were adopted in December 2009 and are aimed at preventing brain damage to players to re-enter the game too soon after suffering a concussion.

The new protocol is also intended to prevent the NFL from being sued for not protecting its players or condoning vulnerable players to take the field when they should not.

There were seven instances during the 2010 regular season where Eagles players suffered concussions, most of which resulted in the injured player missing at least one game.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Vick in doubt for Eagles after concussion,” Jeff McLane, Sept. 20, 2011.