As much as concussions have come under scrutiny the last few years, true enlightenment on the nature and ramifications of head injuries in sports is advancing at a glacial pace — obstructed by denial and fool’s gold, such as the NFL’s vague and inadequate concussion protocol and just the sheer mystery of it all.
Every so often, though, you see a semblance of forward progress, such as there was at the Chiefs’ Arrowhead training complex on Wednesday.
For one thing, by all surface indications, the Chiefs went beyond what they are obligated to do by the deficient standards of the protocol:
They ruled out quarterback Alex Smith for their Sunday game against Jacksonville despite the fact Smith has been deemed not to have suffered a concussion after twice leaving the game dazed last week at Indianapolis.