AP

Last Sunday, the ATC spotter in Minnesota apparently missed that Vikings guard Brandon Fusco had suffered a concussion. The NFL Players Association has launched an effort to determine whether “apparently” is “accurately.”

Per a league source, the NFLPA is investigating whether the spotter failed to recognize and/or to take action in response to the apparent struggles of Fusco to get to his feet after a block that involved helmet-to-helmet contact.

This year, the ATC spotter has the ability to stop the game and order the immediate examination of a player in distress. The change arose in part from the fact that the ATC spotter recognized that Patriots receiver Julian Edelman needed a concussion examination after taking a big hit in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIX. However, the ATC spotter was unable to order a closer look at Edelman until after the drive ended.