NEWSLETTER
Leonard Floyd is one of the Chicago Bears’ most talented, and therefore, important players. So it should go without saying that his health is of the utmost importance.
Well, as I’m sure you know, Floyd missed four games in his rookie year last year with concussions. He would return and close the season out with some strong play, but concussions are scary business, as any NFL fan should know. In speaking with the media after Wednesday’s mini-camp practice, however, it was revealed that his return didn’t exactly mean he was 100 percent healthy.
Here is some of what he had to say, courtesy of Pro Football Weekly’s Hub Arkush:
Leonard Floyd spoke after practice about his 2nd concussion from 2016. Took him 2 months to recover, didn't feel "completely fine" until Feb
— Hub Arkush (@Hub_Arkush) June 14, 2017
Leonard Floyd: "I wasn't thinking like I normally would think and then I'd be staring off in space some times instead of paying attention."
— Hub Arkush (@Hub_Arkush) June 14, 2017
Floyd: "It gradually got better. … I was able to focus more and my mind wasn't all racing everywhere and I was able to lock in on things."
— Hub Arkush (@Hub_Arkush) June 14, 2017
To summarize, Floyd’s second concussion gave him problems for two months *after* the season *ended.* Floyd noted that he wasn’t thinking normally and was spacing out when he should have been paying attention. Of course, Floyd went on to add that things got better, saying: “I was able to focus more and my mind wasn’t all racing everywhere” eventually regaining his focus.
Floyd suffered his second concussion in a Christmas Eve loss to the Washington Redskins, and it went unnoticed by the Bears staff and the independent spotter responsible for following such things. It was his second concussion in a 34-day span, with his first coming in a November 20th loss on the road against the New York Giants.
It’s concerning that these issues lingered as long as they did from a personnel standpoint, but also from a personal standpoint. Player safety is always a concern, especially when it comes to concussions. Players like Floyd are at a higher risk than others because of the nature of his job, which often has him running head-on into linemen and other blockers. While head injuries in football seem unavoidable, the best-case scenario should be to play it safe – especially with a player who is seen as a building block for the future.
No team lost more players to season-ending injured reserve than the Bears in 2016. Floyd wasn’t one of those players, but between calf injuries and concussions, his health going into the 2017 season will be worth keeping an eye on.
