Alright Buccaneers fans, I guess I should explain why I had taken such a long break and didn’t write about the Eagles. I go to college in Asheville, NC. If you aren’t aware, Asheville was completely decimated by Hurricane Helene. I lost signal for 36 hours and only recently managed to get out to a safe place. So, if you could, please donate supplies to WNC and also donate to the Red Cross to help out the areas affected. Alright, time for football.
So there are some concerns going on with Luke Goedeke. Concussions happen to a lot of players, but the symptoms usually go away within the span of two weeks. However, that has not been the case with Goedeke. It has been three weeks, but he has been in concussion protocol the whole time. This has led some people to wonder whether this is a more serious issue or not. Now, it should first be mentioned that there are cases in which a concussion symptom can last for longer than 14 days. It isn’t especially common, but it is also not the rarest thing in the world. It is entirely possible that is all Goedeke is going through.
For a player to clear concussion protocol, they have to go through five steps. We know Goedeke has been wearing a non-contact jersey for several practices, which means he is on phase 4. Against the Eagles, it seemed like he was suiting up, but there was a setback and he couldn’t go. The problem then appears to be he is not being cleared by either the club physician or the independent neurologist.
It should also be mentioned here that I am by no means a doctor. Shocking I know. This article is not to diagnose Goedeke because even if I was a doctor, I cannot do that. this is moreso to provide context on whether what Goedeke is going through is normal or abnormal.
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The one thing that I wanted to look at to see if it was causing him to stay in protocol longer was if he suffered a concussion at any point in his playing career. If he had, that would explain the prolonged symptoms. It doesn’t appear like he ever missed time with a concussion. However, that doesn’t mean he has never suffered one in his life. Football is a violent sport, especially for someone who plays on the offensive line. So while Goedeke may have never been officially out with one, it is possible he has suffered some sort of head injury in the past.
I wanted to write all of this to say that I think Goedeke is fine. The frustration is understandable, but I don’t think the team should be out shopping for his replacement. For example, Ryan Kelly for the Colts suffered a concussion back in 2017 that sidelined him for five weeks. It was his first concussion in the NFL. But, he is still on the Colts and has been a quality center. And this is despite him suffering two more concussions after that initial one. So there is precedent for a player missing higher than average time with concussion and still being alright long term.
The Buccaneers are taking the smart approach with their RT. No matter how much we may hate Justin Skule, it is better for both the team and Goedeke as a person to sit for as long as he needs so that he can still function properly when he leaves the NFL.
