Tag: iinjury

Saints offensive starter avoided a concussion vs. Chargers

Juwan Johnson exited late in Week 8’s Chargers game to be evaluated for a concussion. Dennis Allen announced he is good to go against the Panthers:

Dennis Allen announced starting tight end Juwan Johnson is good to go ahead of the New Orleans Saints divisional matchup versus the Carolina Panthers.

Johnson caught a pass late in the New Orleans Saints’ contest against the Los Angeles Chargers, immediately left the game and didn’t return. It looked like Johnson took a slight hit to the head or his head went straight to the ground as he made the catch.

You may not have noticed because it was late in the game. This was on the final possession right before the two-minute warning. Johnson was then ruled out for the remainder of the game while being evaluated for a concussion.

Allen announcing Johnson is good to go on Monday means Johnson didn’t suffer a concussion and doesn’t have to go through the steps of concussion protocol.

Johnson has been more involved in the offense lately after a slow start. With the limited amount of wide receivers at the Saints’ disposal, Johnson should continue to be featured.

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Saints star playmaker still remains in NFL concussion protocol

New Orleans Saints star playmaker Chris Olave still remains in the NFL concussion protocol. This is his third brain injury in three years as a pro:

The New Orleans Saints bought a couple extra days of rest after their Thursday night game with the Denver Broncos, but Chris Olave is still dealing with symptoms from a concussion he suffered earlier against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Olave is still progressing through the NFL’s concussion protocol ahead of this week’s game with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Allen explained that league rules prohibit him from sharing too many details: “He’s in the protocol, he’s progressing in the protocol, we’re going to take those steps as defined by the league, and then we’ll go from there.”

This isn’t the first time Olave has suffered a concussion. As a rookie in 2022, he exited Week 9’s game midway through and wasn’t cleared to play a week later. Then in 2023 he was ruled out in Week 12, but he did play in their game the next week. Even with extra rest after a Thursday night game, he’s not a lock to return this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

These are serious brain injuries, and everyone experiences different rates of recovery. Sometimes a player can clear protocol in a week. Sometimes it takes a month for symptoms to recede. Taysom Hill missed two games and 24 days recovering from a concussion back in 2021.

The team will get back on the practice field on Wednesday. When doctors are confident Olave can compete on the field without endangering his health, he’ll be out there.

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