Detroit Lions RB Jahvid Best began experiencing "concussion-like symptoms" after their game against San Francisco last week, putting his availability for the Lions game against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend in jeopardy:
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz says Best was available throughout the game Sunday but started experiencing symptoms "pretty long after the game was over."
"That's not unusual," Schwartz said. "We've had some of those that they're not even on the radar until 10 o'clock the next morning and we'll have them show up on the injury report and show up here and say 'Hey, I didn't sleep at all last night,' or 'I'm feeling nauseous this morning', or, 'The light was driving me crazy when I came into work,' and they're all signs of concussion symptoms."
"He has a protocol to go through and we'll see where he is with it," Schwartz said Monday.
Due to the increasing amount of awareness surrounding the danger of head injuries, the NFL has instituted a more comprehensive league-wide protocol for testing concussion-related injuries this year.
Losing Best, their starting running back, would be a blow for the Lions. He's been somewhat inconsistent, but he has game-breaking speed and gives their running game a big-play element. In a Monday night game against the Chicago Bears earlier this season, he rushed for 163 yards on only 12 carries, including an 88-yard touchdown scamper.