Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy confirmed Tuesday that he suffered a fractured orbital bone during Thursday’s loss to the the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener.
He also delivered a stark message for a Chiefs athletic training staff that he called “unprofessional” for how it responded to his medical needs. Van Noy made his comments on his Yahoo Sports podcast “McCoy & Van Noy” while speaking with co-host Gerald McCoy.
“I can understand how Kansas City — the players — have given that training room an F,” Van Noy said. “With my experience, I would have probably after that gave them an F, too.”
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Van Noy referred to an offseason poll conducted by the NFLPA that asked players to rate their teams on a variety of subjects, including ownership and training staff. Despite winning two consecutive Super Bowls, the Chiefs fared poorly in the poll, finishing 31st out of 32 franchises.
Chiefs players gave the ownership group led by Clark Hunt an F-. They gave their training staff an F, the worst rating in the league. After his experience Thursday, Van Noy concurs.
Van Noy was injured in the third quarter while rushing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He confirmed Tuesday that he fractured an orbital bone.
“I ended up suffering that fractured orbital bone in my eye,” Van Noy said. “It’s a pretty good fracture. Still going through tests with specialists.”
He didn’t offer a timeline for his return to the field.
Van Noy: Chiefs athletic trainers were slow to respond to his injury
After sustaining the injury, Van Noy said the Chiefs’ athletic training staff was slow to respond in addressing his facial fracture. He explained that it’s protocol for players on visiting teams to rely on a host team’s training staff in situations such as his.
“I was disappointed in the way the training staff of the Chiefs handled the situation,” Van Noy said. “You get hurt — especially something that could be serious like mine was — you’re supposed to rely on the team’s training staff or their doctors.
“And I was supposed to see a ophthalmologist, which is somebody who checks out — performs eye surgery. They took an entire quarter to get down to talk to me in the locker room, which to me is unacceptable.”
Van Noy repeatedly described the training staff as “unprofessional.”
“Because then you start thinking, you know, what if I was trying to go back in the game? What if I was, you know, really, really hurt? …
“The way it took time was super unprofessional to me. There’s people that were in there, too — a doctor or a friend of the doctor was in there — double-cup fisted, styrofoam cups — like everything was good. I just felt like that was unprofessional.”
Van Noy: Did they take their time because I’m a Ravens player?
Van Noy also said he began to question the training staff’s motives.
“People have that expectation of you being professional, handling business,” Van Noy continued. “In a time of need, I wanted that from them, and I felt like I didn’t get it.
“Then you get into, like, did they take their time because I’m a Ravens player? Those are just the thoughts that go into it. I don’t think it was that, but at the same time, I don’t want them to come out and apologize.
“It is what it is. I experienced it. I know. The training room that I was in knows. We know the truth.”
Yahoo Sports has reached out to the Chiefs for comment.
Kansas City won Thursday’s game 27-20. The Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. The Ravens will host the Las Vegas Raiders.