The Commanders’ head coach has an injury update on Austin Ekeler after suffering a concussion last week.
In Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders running back and return specialist Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion on a last-second kickoff, marking his second of the season. His first concussion in Week 4 sidelined him, and this latest injury could lead to a longer recovery period.
Head coach Dan Quinn provided an update on Ekeler and other injured players during a media session on Monday, confirming that Ekeler is now in the concussion protocol, according to Ben Standig from The Athletic.
The concussion protocol in the NFL consists of multiple steps. It starts with a medical examination, followed by assessments from an independent neurotrauma consultant, and includes adhering to the league’s return-to-play guidelines. The return-to-play process can be a challenging one for some players, particularly if they are honest about their symptoms.
As demonstrated by Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, being in the concussion protocol can take significantly longer than just a couple of weeks, especially if the player continues to experience symptoms.
Commanders RB Austin Ekeler’s recovery timeline unknown
With this being Ekeler’s second concussion in the span of 11 games, the 29-year-old back could miss the team’s next game, if not more.
It’s uncertain the severity of his concussion, but it didn’t look promising with the way his body reacted to the hit in Sunday’s contest. When analyzing brain injuries from the broadcast view, it’s incredibly tough to understand how bad of a concussion someone got, given the body part that’s injured is under multiple layers of both equipment and a skull.
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