Here’s the Chiefs’ side of story involving eye injury to Ravens LB Kyle Van Noy

The Chiefs had remained silent as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy sharply criticized the organization’s medical staff for not quickly devoting attention to him when he hurt his eye during last week’s NFL season opener at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Until Friday.

From a podium inside the media room at the Chiefs’ Kansas City practice facility, trainer Rick Burkholder on Friday responded strongly and directly to Van Noy’s dissatisfaction.

“We respect the Ravens, respect their medical staff,” Burkholder said. “I respect Kyle as a player and I’m pretty upset that he was upset. I’ve talked at length with their doctors and actually exchanged text messages with (Ravens coach) John Harbaugh to clear the air.”

On Wednesday, the 33-year-old Van Noy said on his podcast (“McCoy and Van Noy”) that the Chiefs’ training staff had acted in an “unprofessional manner” while tending to the injury he suffered in KC’s 27-20 victory on Sept. 5.

“I was disappointed in the way the training staff of the Chiefs handled the situation,” Van Noy said on the podcast. “When you get hurt, especially something that could be serious like mine was, you’re supposed to rely on the (home) team’s training staff or their doctors. They took an entire quarter to get down to talk to me in the locker room, which to me is unacceptable. Because then you start thinking, ‘What if I was trying to go back in the game? What if I was really, really hurt?’”

Burkholder did not mince words Friday in addressing the concerns raised by the 11th-year NFL veteran.

“It’s not mandated in the NFL to have an ophthalmologist or a dentist in the stands,” Burkholder said. “We do that as a courtesy to both teams. It’s not mandated by the NFL or the NFLPA.

“When he went down, I went out there because I thought he had a head or neck injury. I asked their physician if they needed and ophthalmologist. They didn’t at the time. They evaluated him, and then when they wanted an ophthalmologist we made a phone call up into the stands and got the ophthalmologist to the locker room in 12 minutes.

“I’m sorry that he was upset. I think we’ve worked it out with the Ravens through (Chiefs head coach Andy Reid) and I, and both organizations respect the process.”

Burkholder did not take questions from reporters after his statements.

On Thursday, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell supported Van Noy, saying medical treatment on-site should be provided “as quickly as possible,” adding, “I think this was a situation where that did not occur.”

Later Thursday, the NFL in turn criticized the NFLPA.

““It’s disappointing the NFLPA would publicize unsupported conclusions without attempting to understand the facts,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. “We have reviewed the case with the Chiefs’ and Ravens’ medical staffs and are comfortable he received appropriate care.”