Tag: Concussion

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson says he’s fine after Mike Tomlin confirms concussion

Do you think Diontae Johnson will play this week?

After the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21 win over the Houston Texans, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed wide receiver Diontae Johnson did indeed suffer a concussion during the game.

But after the game, Johnson took to Twitter to let everyone know he was fine. This sounds great but the NFL concussion protocol is very stringent and so heading into a week of preparation for the Tennessee Titans it is unclear if Johnson will be available.

In Johnson’s place, rookie Chase Claypool stepped in and played the most snaps of any wide receiver on the team on Sunday. If Johnson isn’t available this week, look for an expanded role for Claypool as well as James Washington as part of the scheme adjustment.

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Texans FB Cullen Gillaspia being evaluated for a concussion

Houston Texans fullback Cullen Gillaspia is being evaluated for a concussion in the Week 2 encounter with the Baltimore Ravens.

Houston Texans fullback Cullen Gillaspia is being evaluated for a concussion, according to the team.

While Gillaspia hasn’t been a big part of the Texans’ offensive plans with neither a target nor a carry against the Baltimore Ravens, the former 2019 seventh-rounder from Texas A&M is a key part of the special teams unit. Not having Gillaspia would force a player from the offensive or defensive sides to play more snaps in the transition phase.

Gillaspia was not active for Week 1 as he was dealing with a hamstring issue. He practiced all three days ahead of Week 2.

This is a developing story.

Texans WR Brandin Cooks has ‘zero’ concerns about concussions recurring

Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks says he is not concerned with concussions returning in his debut year in the AFC South.

Brandin Cooks’ final year with the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t representative of who he is as a player.

The former 2014 New Orleans Saints first-round pick caught 42 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns, breaking up his streak of four consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards. Cooks also saw his streak of consecutive seasons with 16 games played also halted as he missed two games with a concussion.

Only Benjamin Button gets younger as the years go by. Though Cooks will turn 27 years old on Sept. 25, he isn’t worried about his concussion problems lingering from last year.

“Zero,” Cooks stated when reporters asked Aug. 6 if he had concerns about his past concussions. “For me, I’m not worried at all. If there was any hesitation or worry, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Cooks takes the concussions in stride, believing they are a negative part of the game that one has to accept and not dwell on.

“At the end of the day, things happen in this game that you wish don’t happen,” Cooks said. “But when you start to learn through this process and you really start to get an understanding on what this is, there is just so much out there that people just don’t understand that goes into it.

“Everybody thinks, ‘oh, it’s just impact.’ But without going into specifics, I’m comfortable and I feel great and I look forward to continue to just do what I have to do and go out there and give it my all.”

The only year Cooks did not produce 1,000-plus yards in his first season with a team was his rookie year. However, he eventually delivered two 1,000-yard years to New Orleans before being traded to the New England Patriots for a one-season-only affair in 2017. Cooks’ 80 catches for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns were instrumental to helping the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII. Houston is hopeful they can generate the same results from Cooks in 2020.

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Seahawks aren’t concerned about tight end Greg Olsen’s recent injuries

Despite a recent foot injury and concussion, the Seattle Seahawks aren’t worried about tight end Greg Olsen’s durability for this season.

The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran tight end Greg Olsen to the roster last week to bolster the position group. Besieged by injuries last season, the hope is the tight end corps returns healthy to start the season.

But Olsen has suffered some recent injuries of his own and is in the latter part of his career at nearly 35 years of age.

However, coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks aren’t worried about Olsen’s durability for now.

“No, he had a foot injury,” Carroll said during his combine press conference. “He’s had a very clean process to get to this point. He had one foot injury that kind of turned into another related thing on his foot, but other than that, it’s really focused. He did have a concussion last year, missed a couple of weeks, but he came back and played. He’s in pretty darn good shape right now for all of those years he’s played.”

Seattle also expects tight end Will Dissly, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last year, will be back to form this season.

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WATCH: Eagles backup QB McCown played vs. Seahawks with torn hamstring

Josh McCown played the entire second half against the Seahawks with a torn hamstring.

The Eagles’ season is over after an 8-point loss to the Seahawks (12-5) during Wild Card weekend.

Quarterback Carson Wentz left the game with a concussion in the first quarter and 40-year-old backup Josh McCown took over at QB for Philly, but ESPN is now reporting that McCown played the entire second half of the game with a torn hamstring.

The report says that the injury happened during the second quarter. With no other quarterback options, McCown stayed in the duration of the game.

McCown finished the game with 18 completions on 24 pass attempts for 174 passing yards. He ran the ball five times for a total of 23 rushing yards. McCown was sacked six times and fumbled twice.

ESPN reports that he will undergo surgery Tuesday.

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Report: Eagles backup QB McCown played second half of playoff game with torn hamstring

ESPN is now reporting that Josh McCown played the entire second half of the Philly (9-8) game with a torn hamstring.

ESPN is now reporting that Josh McCown played the entire second half of the Philly (9-8) game with a torn hamstring.

Report: Eagles backup QB McCown played second half of playoff game with torn hamstring (Eagleswire)

ESPN is now reporting that Josh McCown played the entire second half of the Philly (9-8) game with a torn hamstring.

ESPN is now reporting that Josh McCown played the entire second half of the Philly (9-8) game with a torn hamstring.

It’s been ‘touch and go’ trying to get Malik Turner healthy

Seattle Seahawks receiver Malik Turner is still recovering from a concussion, and his status for Sunday’s game against Green Bay is unknown.

The Seattle Seahawks saw their plethora of depth at wide receiver slowly dwindle over the past few weeks.

The team lost Josh Gordon to suspension, Malik Turner to a concussion and Jaron Brown to a knee injury and a family matter, leaving them with just four healthy receivers on Sunday against the Eagles.

It looks like the team is nearing full health in time for Green Bay however, with Turner returning to practice on Wednesday.

Coach Pete Carroll reiterated how cautious the team is being with Turner, who suffered a concussion near the end of the Cardinals game and did not play against San Francisco or Philadelphia.

“It’s been a little touch and go to get him back,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “We’re taking great care of him to make sure that he’s right. He’s anxious to get going and see how he feels tomorrow.”

Turner has quietly been a strong contributor to this Seattle team, hauling in 15 receptions (on 22 targets) for 245 yards and a touchdown, while also holding a valuable role on the special teams.

He still has to make it through the week, and almost certainly will be a game time decision. If he is unable to go, the team may rely on rookie John Ursua to handle his role on the offense.

The Seahawks will look to move into the NFC championship game with a win on Sunday in Green Bay, with kickoff slated for 3:40 p.m. PT.

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Williams fined for penalties vs. 49ers

Nearly $60,000 in fines were handed by the NFL to New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers players after last week’s physical showdown.

The NFL issued fines for multiple players following last week’s physical showdown between the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, with both sides accumulating $66,677 in fines after actions that drew penalties and caused some players to exit the game.

49ers cornerback Akhello Withershpoon was hit with a $28,075 fine after he concussed Saints tight end Jared Cook on a helmet-to-helmet collision late in the first quarter, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. That amount is the minimum players can be penalized for as a first offense when committing impermissible use of the helmet; a second offense would cost him $56,156. Cook entered the NFL concussion protocol after that play, and did not return to the game, though the Saints expect him to suit up for Monday night’s game with the Indianapolis Colts.

On the Saints’ side, rookie defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson was also fined $28,075 after a helmet-to-helmet hit on 49ers fullback Kyle Jusczyk, per a report from Amie Just of Nola.com. Gardner-Johnson was midway through the act of tackling Jusczyk around his waist when the fullback slid to the ground, clashing helmets with the defender. The rookie had previously been fined $21,000 for an illegal hit against Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, which he contested.

Additionally, Just reported that third-year safety Marcus Williams drew a $10,527 fine following a face mask penalty during his end-of-game tackle of 49ers tight end George Kittle. Kittle’s long catch-and-run reception would have scored a touchdown if Williams had not stopped him — even doing so illegally — so this is one foul he’ll have to grudgingly accept.

All-star wide receiver Michael Thomas was struck with his own $10,527 fine for a face mask penalty against the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year, so they’re in this boat together. A second offense of this nature would climb to a $21,056, so it’s obviously not an experience either of them is eager to repeat.

The only silver lining here is what the NFL and NFL Players Association agree to do with the money collected by fining players: it is used to benefit the medical costs and post-football careers of retired players through the Gene Upshaw Players Association’s Players Assistance Trust and NFL Player Care Foundation.

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Jared Cook ruled out vs. 49ers with a concussion

The New Orleans Saints ruled out tight end Jared Cook with a concussion during their Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The New Orleans Saints announced that starting tight end Jared Cook will not return to Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers after suffering a concussion early in the first quarter. Cook was slow to get up after he took a strike to the head on his second touchdown catch in as many possessions, and had to be escorted to the locker room for further evaluations by the independent NFL neurologist and Saints medical staff.

It was looking like a breakout game for the veteran tight end, who has really come along in recent weeks after spending more time with quarterback Drew Brees. His loss makes the Saints dangerously thin at tight end; backup Josh Hill is the only other active tight end on the team, though reserve quarterback Taysom Hill can fill in temporarily.

New Orleans waived third-year reserve Dan Arnold and lost practice squad call-up Jason Vander Laan earlier this week. Their only remaining option is practice squad project Mitchell Loewen, who has only played defensive end in the NFL and isn’t eligible to be activated today.

Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Cook. Brain injuries like this can linger, and he’s already missed time earlier this season with an ankle injury. His high moments have been impressive but this setback is just the latest missed opportunity for him.

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