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Bowen: 'The NFL Has No Idea What They're Doing With Concussions'

(WSCR) As a former NFL player who has suffered his fair share of concussions, 670 The Score contributor Matt Bowen knows exactly what Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is experiencing right now.

Though the NFL has made strides in changing policy regarding concussions, Bowen thinks the league is still completely clueless when it comes to head injuries.

"If I do see Jay on the field Monday night, I'm going to laugh at the NFL again," Bowen told The Boers and Bernstein Show on Monday afternoon. "The NFL has no idea what they're doing with concussions. They have no idea. They didn't have any idea when I played and they have no idea now."

LISTEN: Matt Bowen on The Boers and Bernstein Show

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For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

So what should be the proper protocol for players sustaining concussions?

"It's tough because there's a disconnect between the training staff, the coaches and the player," Bowen explained. "The player is always going to say he's fine. The players need to take some responsibility here, too. I did it myself. Anyone who has played this game and put a helmet on has had some type of concussion in the NFL. The game is too violent not to have one. It just comes to a point when, as a player, can you remember your name? If you can't remember your name, you shouldn't be on the field. If you're experiencing some symptoms and you keep yourself out there, that's just what dumb 20-year-old kids do. That's what I did when I was 20-something years old. I was dumb. I was immature. I look back on it now and say, 'What a joke. Why did I do that to myself?'"

If Cutler misses the Bears Monday night matchup against the 49ers next week, Bowen, who played with back-up quarterback Jason Campbell in Washington, said Campbell can lead this team.

"Jason throws a really nice, catchable football," Bowen said. "He doesn't have the velocity that Jay does - not many quarterbacks do. He is athletic, he's not as athletic as Jay is, though, when you're talking about scrambling, sliding the pocket, stepping up, making plays with his feet. Jason is more than capable of carrying a game plan."

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