Report Says Lions May Have Misdiagnosed Swanson With Concussion
(97.1 The Ticket) Travis Swanson saw his 2017 season cut short due to a concussion for the second straight year, but Swanson's camp claims the Lions misdiagnosed him.
The team ruled Swanson out with a concussion in Weeks 15 and 16 before placing him on injured reserve in Week 17.
According to the Free Press, representatives of the pending free agent center have medical documentation that says "Swanson did not actually suffer a concussion but instead had a bad reaction to medicine he was given to treat a concussion."
His symptoms reportedly subsided once he stopped taking the medicine. Swanson's reps plan to show this documentation to his potential suitors in free agency.
The Lions stand by their injury reports from late in the season, per the Free Press.
Swanson was diagnosed with a concussion a few days after playing every snap in the Lions' Week 14 win over the Buccaneers. He was ultimately placed on IR the Friday before Detroit's season finale.
Swanson was one of three Lions offensive lineman in 2017, along with T.J. Lang and Don Barclay, who finished a game and experienced concussion symptoms in the ensuing days.
"I mean, medically that's what they say. They can manifest themselves 48 to 72 hours afterwards. And it just so happened that we've had a few guys that have done it," former head coach Jim Caldwell said following Swanson's diagnosis. "But I think our doctors do a great job with it.
"Once it's identified, they put them through the protocol, and they do what the league has advised us to do. And the other part of it is I just think the league's done a number of different things to help in those areas. All kinds of protocol, all types of changes, every year it's being evaluated, so it's something that's being constantly reviewed."
The Lions are reportedly prepared to move on from Swanson, who also missed the final four games of the 2016 season plus the team's playoff loss to the Seahawks with a late-to-manifest concussion. Swanson's symptoms arose in that case after he played every snap in Detroit's Week 13 win over the Saints.
