I watched the Chiefs-Raiders game on TV a couple of weeks ago and just before CBS cut to a commercial break, they showed Brady Quinn and the Chiefs offense running out onto the field after a change in possession. Quinn stopped, turned around and ran back to the bench and grabbed a different helmet. I chuckled to myself thinking that moment of TV summed up the Chiefs offense in three seconds…a state of confusion. What it captured was something more serious…a player trying to battle through a concussion.
After standing on the sidelines for three years, Quinn had an opportunity to start and he wanted to do everything he could to stay on the field, and he ignored concussion symptoms in the first quarter of the Chiefs loss to Oakland. Quinn was hurt while scrambling and was hit in the head by Oakland linebacker Philip Wheeler. Instead of coming out of the game, Quinn stayed on the field and three plays later threw an interception. Quinn said he also got a concussion in the Chiefs’ preseason game against Green Bay, saying he blacked out for a moment, but then felt fine. Quinn also said he wasn’t concerned when he took the initial hit from Wheeler against Oakland.
“At that point, I kind of noticed a loss of vision. I got tunnel vision. I just tried to keep playing, thinking it would go away. It didn’t.”
As Quinn continues to rehab, the Chiefs announced that Matt Cassel will get the start Monday night against Pittsburgh.