Former Wildcat Greg Newsome II Out of NFL Action with a Concussion
After the Cleveland Browns placed three starters on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, the team lost yet another key contributor when rookie cornerback Greg Newsome II sustained a concussion during the last play of practice on Friday, Dec. 10.
According to ESPN, Newsome received the injury by hitting his head on a fall. He was originally deemed questionable for the Browns’ Week 14 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens but was later ruled out after being diagnosed with a concussion.
In addition to Newsome, Cleveland had a host of other players sidelined for the game: wide receiver Anthony Schwartz with a concussion; tight end Harrison Bryant with an ankle injury; and tight end David Njoku, linebacker Anthony Walker and punter Jamie Gillan on the COVID-19 list. Despite these absences, the Browns still pulled off a 24-22 win, making them 7-6 overall this season and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
As Cleveland prepares for its Week 15 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, however, they will do so down eight more players who were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. This group includes four starters: wide receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Austin Hooper, guard Wyatt Teller and tackle Jedrick Willis.
#Browns Joe Woods said Greg Newsome II is still day-to-day and in concussion protocol. Doesn't know if he'll be cleared by Saturday.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 15, 2021
While it is unlikely that Newsome will take the field this weekend, there is no set amount of time he must sit out for a concussion; concussed players must simply clear the NFL's five-phase concussion protocol, a process whose timeline varies by individual.
Sports medicine researchers at Henry Ford Hospital found that it took an average of 19 days for running backs and wide receivers who suffered a concussion between 2012-15 to return to play, while The Athletic reports an average of seven days for quarterbacks who suffered a concussion between 2015-19.
Newsome, the Brown's first-round 2021 NFL Draft pick out of Northwestern, has started in nine of the 10 games he has played in this season, missing Weeks 4 and 5 due to a calf injury. To date, the former Wildcat has logged 25 total tackles and seven passes defensed.
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Alyssa Haduck is a reporter for Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. She has also written for the Washington Football Team, the United States Golf Association, and the University of Maryland athletic department. Haduck is currently a graduate student studying sports journalism at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.