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NFL Injury Disclosure: An Ailing System

NFL Injury Disclosure: An Ailing System

Newsflash: the NFL doesn't always mean what it says. Or less politely, they're full of shit. Before the season began, Paul Tags announced a new mandate to crackdown on injury disclosure and force teams to be more detailed and forthright about the nature and status of their injured players. That's what they said.

The NFL has had an injury-reporting policy in place for its teams since 1947, in part as a service to fans eager for information about their team. But there are no guidelines compelling coaches to report injury information on Mondays.

"...in part as a service to fans eager for information about their team." Translated to mean; for fans who gamble and play fantasy football, both of which provide vast sums of direct and indirect revenue for the league, the NFL cares about you.

Some coaches and teams were skirting, or even abusing, the old guidelines for reporting injuries. As a result, the new policy requires teams to provide more detailed injury information on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of game weeks.

In a memo to head coaches and team public relations directors dated Aug. 16 from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, teams were reminded that the league policy on injuries "continues to be critically important to the integrity of our league."

The revised policy is designed to improve how injuries are to be identified by teams, and to provide an indication of the extent to which an injured player is practicing. It also stressed that teams should provide "credible, accurate and specific" information on injuries on game day. - STLToday

Really? Teams should provide "credible, accurate and specific information" on injuries? Yeah right. The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick in particular are among the worst abusers of the NFL's toothless injury disclosure policy. Don't believe me? Can anyone tell me what's wrong with Deion Branch's knee? You know, Deion Branch. The Patriots #1 WR on the depth chart coming into this season. No? Still can't remember him? Here's why. Deion Branch hasn't played a down of football since the 2nd quarter of week 2. Here is what was disclosed a few days after Branch failed to play the second half of that game due to an apparent knee injury;

According to the Boston Globe, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Deion Branch (leg) could have played in the second half against the Cardinals but the team decided not to risk further injury to their receiver. Branch was injured just before halftime in the Week 2 game at Arizona. - CBSSportsline

Strange isn't it? He could have played in the second half? Yet for some reason this minor 'leg' injury has caused Branch to miss 4 straight weeks of practice, 3.5 games and still counting.

Deion Branch missed practice again with a knee ailment and is listed as doubtful - Boston Globe

These athletic specimens get on-demand x-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests, and the best they can come up with after he fails to put on a uniform for almost a month is a 'knee ailment'? I've had ailments before. You go to the drugstore, you buy a cream, and after a few days your ailment goes away. Ailments don't typically render you unable to work for over a month. But if your name is Bill Belichick, and you've won two Super Bowls in three seasons, and you're riding an NFL-record 19 game winning streak, nobody questions your ailments.

Note to self; the next time you trade for a Patriots player with a minor ailment, wait until you see that Patriots player back on the playing field in a game situation doing his thing. Otherwise, just assume you'll never see him in an NFL uniform again.

Martz silent over status of injured Rams [STLtoday]
Status questionable for Seahawks' game [Boston Globe]
Photo: [AP]

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