Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell gives Harrison Smith concussion update
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith remains in the NFL's concussion protocol after suffering the brain injury during the second half of Minnesota's 24-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Speaking Wednesday to the media, head coach Kevin O'Connell said they'll be careful not to rush Smith back to the field. His status for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, however, is unknown.
"Short week, so it'll be a day-to-day process. He feels pretty good but we'll allow that process to play out," O'Connell said. "Obviously, the sensitivity that I have for the protocol and making sure our guys are right, especially early on in the season with a veteran player, we'll allow Harrison to have the entire process."
The concussion protocol is a five-step process that Smith must clear before returning to practice or a game. It starts with (1) stretching and balance training before moving on to (2) light aerobic exercise, (3) followed by cardio, more stretching and balance tests and strength training. The fourth step introduces running, catching and other non-contact football drills.
If all of those go well, Smith can be cleared to resume full football activities.
Josh Metellus is Smith's backup at safety. According to Pro Football Focus, Metellus was on the field for 10 snaps late in the game, seven of which were rushing plays as the Eagles held a 17-point lead.
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Title: Bring Me The Sports co-owner, editor Email: joe@bringmethenews.com Twitter: @JoeBMTN Education: Southwest Minnesota State University Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Expertise: All things Minnesota sports Nelson has covered Minnesota sports for two decades, starting his media career in sports radio. He worked at small market Minnesota stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before joining one of the nation's highest-rated sports stations, KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. There, he was the producer of the top-rated mid-morning sports show with Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen. His radio experience helped blossom a career as a sports writer, joining Minneapolis-based Bring Me The News in 2011. Nelson and Adam Uren became co-owners of Bring Me The News in 2018 and have since more than tripled the site's traffic and launched Bring Me The Sports in cooperation with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation umbrella. Nelson has covered the Super Bowl and numerous training camps, NFL combines, the MLB All-Star Game and Minnesota playoff games, in addition to the day-to-day happenings on and off the field of play. Nelson also has extensive knowledge of non-sports subjects, including news and weather. He works closely with Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to produce a bevy of weather and climate information for Minnesota readers. Nelson helped launch and manage the Bring Me The News Radio Network, which provided more than 50 radio stations around Minnesota with daily news, sports and weather reports from 2011-17.