KC Concepcion Took His First Concussion And Said It Was ‘Just a Football Play’: The League Noticed

Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick laid out Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion on Sunday, knocking him out cold and dealing him his first career concussion, but the rookie first-round pick himself says it was nothing but a clean hit. This is wild, right? Fitzpatrick is already appealing an NFL fine for the hit, calling it “just a football play” even with that 15-yard unnecessary roughness flag. And Concepcion, the guy who took the shot, is right there with him.

“It Was Just a Football Play”

It’s a physical game, we all know that, but when a guy gets his bell rung like that, you expect a little more outrage, maybe? Not from Concepcion. He told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Friday, “I know the game that I signed up to play. This game is a very physical game. To me, it wasn’t a dirty hit. It was just a football play.” Think about that. You’re a rookie, you get your first concussion, and your immediate reaction is to defend the guy who put you on the turf. It speaks volumes about the mentality these guys have in the trenches.

Cleared and Ready to Go

The good news is Concepcion is a tough dude. He cleared concussion protocol on Friday, which is huge, and he is expected to play this Sunday. After what he went through, getting back on the field that fast is impressive. He’s just happy to be standing: “I thank the Lord, just for him allowing me to get back up and be able to walk off the field,” Concepcion said. “I’m like this all the time, smiling, dancing, cracking jokes. [But] I would say that I am glad that I was able to get up and be able to play again.” You gotta respect that resilience. It shows you the fire these players have, even after a shot like that.

The league is always looking at player safety, and then you have a guy like Concepcion, who just shrugs off his first concussion as “just a football play.” It definitely makes you think about where the line is drawn. As for our Seahawks, they fought hard but dropped a tough one to the Denver Broncos, falling 17-14. Tough loss for the 12s, but we keep fighting. You know they’ll be back at it, scrapping for every yard.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.