Even though he was eventually cleared and returned to the game — and even though he was in a hurry — Texans quarterback T.J. Yates said he was glad referee Bill Vinovich pulled him last night.
At a time when the league’s concussion protocol has been modified after teams made a mockery of it, and shortly after another Texans quarterback’s season ended because of a concussion, Yates had a lengthy stay in the blue tent before eventually coming back last night.
Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Yates said Vinovich took him out of the game after his head bounced off the ground following a sack by Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton.
“I appreciate his cautiousness,” Yates said. “It’s a very sensitive subject right now. That fact that it took so long, the whole process took about 30 minutes for me to get back out there, that was a little frustrating for me. I’d rather them be more cautious than not.
“At the same time, taking players off the field when they’re fine is frustrating to players. It’s kind of a double-edged sword. Eventually, the process of the whole concussion protocol will get better and better. It’s just a very hot topic right now. He felt that I got hit in the head and that I needed to come out.”
Yates eventually returned to the game, after backup Taylor Heinicke was knocked out of the game with a concussion of his own. And while the competitor in Yates was itching to come back, the vision of Tom Savage twitching on the field and then coming back should be burned into everyone’s mind when discussing the time element involved.
But the fact Yates would object to the time needed to evaluate the health of his brain — along with Russell Wilson’s reaction to the Seahawks’ fine for not following the protocol — shows that players themselves are part of the problem, since they are conditioned to stay in games or get back in them as quickly as possible.