NFL: More concussion self-reporting; Brissett handled appropriately
NEW YORK » The NFL’s chief medical officer says more than a third of concussion evaluations so far this season are a result of players indicating they have symptoms, a much higher percentage than last season.
Allen Sills said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday that “about 37 percent” of the 379 concussion evaluations during the preseason and regular season have been “initiated by a self-report.” Sills said it was about 20 to 22 percent a year ago.
He called that increase “a positive development.”
Sills also said the rules for checking for a concussion were followed properly for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Sunday, when he was allowed to return to a game after a hit to the head. After the game, it was determined he did have concussion symptoms.
Sills says it is impossible to “capture 100 percent of concussions.”
NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said on the call that the league and the players’ union are still reviewing whether the Seattle Seahawks properly followed concussion protocols with quarterback Russell Wilson on Thursday night.
Sills also said data from the last five years shows that the injury rate per game “is actually lower” for Thursdays than games played on other days of the week.
Some NFL players think the league should get rid of short work weeks because they are detrimental to their health and safety.
Seahawks sign CB Byron Maxwell
RENTON, WASH. » The Seattle Seahawks have signed veteran cornerback Byron Maxwell to help make up for the loss of Richard Sherman to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury.
Seattle formally announced Maxwell’s signing Tuesday and placed Sherman on injured reserve. Maxwell knows Seattle’s system after starting his career with the Seahawks and becoming a starter during the 2013 season.
Maxwell signed with the Eagles in free agency after the 2014 season but lasted just one year with the Eagles and was traded to Miami before the 2015 season. Maxwell lost his starting job in Miami to rookie Cordrea Tankersley early this season and had been inactive the past four weeks prior to his release.
Seattle also placed running back C.J. Prosise on injured reserve with an ankle injury and signed running back Mike Davis from the practice squad. Prosise injured his ankle in Seattle’s win over Arizona last week.
Dave Matthews Band to play in St. Paul on eve of Super Bowl
MINNEAPOLIS » The Dave Matthews Band will perform in St. Paul on the eve of the Super Bowl, adding to a growing list of entertainment leading up to the big game.
The Dave Matthews Band will play at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 3 as part of the so-called Night Before concert, the Star Tribune reports. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday and will range from $67 to $127 — not inflated Super Bowl prices.
The Night Before concert is copresented by CBS Radio and the NFL’s hospitality partner, On Location Experiences.
It will compete with the Super Bowl Host Committee’s free concerts, spearheaded by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as well as two Club Nomadic events: the Florida Georgia Line performance near Mystic Lake Casino Hotel and another yet-to-be-announced concert in Minneapolis.