Despite lofty preseason expectations, the Philadelphia Eagles defense has been struggling this season. The unit is fresh off of allowing 27 points to the Chicago Bears and third-string QB Case Keenum, and things won’t get any easier with Matthew Stafford and the L.A. Rams coming to town for Week 4.
The last thing Philly’s defense needs heading into the game against the Rams is an injury to a key contributor. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they’re dealing with.
Zack Baun Misses Eagles’ First Practice for Rams Game With Concussion
Star linebacker Zack Baun missed Philadelphia’s first practice of the week due to a concussion. With a concussion designation, Baun will have to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol before being cleared to play against the Rams. It remains to be seen when that will happen, so at this point in time Baun’s status for the game against L.A. is uncertain.
Obviously his health comes first, but it would be a huge loss for Philadelphia’s defense is Baun is unable to play. He leads the team in tackles for a loss this season, and he’s second in total tackles. He’s also the key communicator for the entire defense, as he is the unit’s green-dot wearer this season.
Baun’s status moving forward in the week will be a major storyline to monitor for Eagles fans.
How Zack Baun Can Clear NFL Concussion Protocol
Baun has to follow a series of steps in order to clear concussion protocol and become eligible to play. It’s a bit of a convoluted process, but here’s an official explanation from the league:
Every NFL player diagnosed with a concussion must follow a five-step process before being cleared to fully practice or participate in an NFL game. This process, developed from internationally accepted guidelines, ensures that each player receives consistent treatment.
… Team medical staff consider the player’s current concussive injury, as well as past exposures and medical history, family history and future risk in managing a player’s care.
After a player has progressed through the five-step process, and is cleared for full participation by his club physician, he must be seen and separately cleared by an Independent Neurological Consultant (INC), jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA, who is not affiliated with any NFL club. Until cleared by this independent physician, a player may not return to contact practice or play in an NFL game.
The five steps mentioned consist of symptom-limited activity, aerobic exercise, football-specific exercise, club-based non-contact training drills and finally full football activity. So, once Baun clears all of those steps, he’ll be able to return to game-action for the Eagles.
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