Kyle Van Noy vs. The Chiefs’ Medical Staff: "They get an F"
In the high-stakes world of the NFL, where every second counts, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy found himself in a bizarre and frustrating situation during Thursday’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. After suffering an eye injury, Van Noy’s experience with the Chiefs’ medical staff was less “ER” and more “Comedy of Errors.”
The drama unfolded in the third quarter when Van Noy, while rushing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, found himself at the bottom of a pile that included Mahomes and Baltimore defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. In the chaos, Van Noy’s helmet went under his chin strap, resulting in a fractured orbital bone. Ouch!
Now, you’d think that an injury involving a fractured orbital bone would prompt immediate action, right? Wrong. According to Van Noy, the Chiefs’ medical staff took an entire quarter to get an ophthalmologist down to the locker room. That’s right, folks, an entire quarter. In football time, that’s practically an eternity.
“I was disappointed in the way the training staff of the Chiefs handled the situation,” Van Noy said on his podcast Tuesday. “I was supposed to see an ophthalmologist … and they took an entire quarter to get down to talk to me in the locker room – which, to me, is unacceptable.”
One can only imagine the scene in the locker room: Van Noy, sitting there with a fractured orbital bone, waiting for medical attention while the Chiefs’ medical staff took their sweet time. Maybe they were stuck in line at the concession stand, or perhaps they were busy debating the merits of pineapple on pizza. Whatever the reason, it was clear that urgency was not on the menu.
Adding to the absurdity, Van Noy described how one of the doctors, or perhaps a friend of the doctor, was in the locker room double-cup fisted with styrofoam cups, acting like everything was just fine. “The way it took time was super unprofessional to me, especially because there were people in there, too,” Van Noy said. “One of the doctors, or the friend of the doctor was in there double-cup fisted, styrofoam cups like everything was good and I just felt that was unprofessional.”
It’s like a scene straight out of a sitcom: “Doctor, we need you in the locker room stat!” “Hold on, let me finish my drink first.”
Van Noy’s frustration is understandable, especially considering the Chiefs’ training staff received an “F” in the most recent NFL Players Association report card. “I understand how Kansas City, the players have given that training room an F,” Van Noy said, “because with my experience, I would have probably gave them an F, too.”
The Chiefs, for their part, had no comment on Van Noy’s remarks. Perhaps they were too busy trying to locate their missing ophthalmologist.
In the end, Van Noy’s experience serves as a reminder that even in the high-stakes world of professional football, sometimes things can go hilariously wrong. Let’s just hope that next time, the Chiefs’ medical staff can put down their drinks and pick up the pace.