Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith wishes officials had done more to protect him from the concussion that has sidelined him since week three.
On the play in question, Smith caught a pass, got wrapped up and was driven backward by several players when Saints defensive lineman Khristian Boyd joined in the gang tackle and hit Smith in the head. Boyd was not flagged on the play, but was fined $4,665 by the NFL for the hit.
Smith, who has been cleared to return this week, said he had no problem with Boyd’s actions but wished the officials had blown the game dead when his forward progress was stopped.
“I don’t feel like it was a dirty hitSmith said through Zach Berman. “More than that, I feel like the whistle should have been blown. . . . I can’t extend the game if I go backwards.”
Smith said he remembers the punch and the immediate aftermath, but not what happened after he went to the locker room. He did say he remembers the support of teammate AJ Brown, who left the game with a hamstring injury and left the sideline to be with Smith.
‘I wouldn’t say that [it was] scary because I didn’t know what was going on at the time,” Smith said.
Smith officially cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Friday, 19 days after suffering the concussion.
