During the Steelers-Browns game on Thursday night, the NFL Network announcers suggested that the helmet-to-helmet hit laid on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison could very well result in fine from the league office. It turns out, though, the folks on McCoy's own sideline may have been far more cavalier with his health than the oft-fined defender.
During the fourth quarter, Harrison leveled McCoy after he had released the ball with a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit and was penalized for the play. After laying on the ground for several minutes, the former Texas QB was able to leave the field. Second-string signal caller Seneca Wallace came in to take his place, but, shockingly, McCoy returned to the game just two plays later.
Following the Steelers' 14-3 win, McCoy was asked about the play by the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.
"Honestly, I don't even remember," he responded.
Despite this admission, Browns coach Pat Shurmur insisted after the game that McCoy was "fine to go back in." McCoy's father disagrees.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer, McCoy's father, Brad, said that his son should never have gone back into the game and ripped the Browns for letting him play. According to Brad, his son informed him on Friday morning that he has no memory of the remainder of the game after Harrison laid him out.
"He was basically out [cold] after the hit," he said. "You could tell by the ridigity of his body as he laying there. There were a lot of easy symptoms that should've told them he had a concussion. He was nauseated and he didn't know who he was. From what I could see, they didn't test him for a concussion on the sidelines. They looked at his [left] hand."
An NFL spokesperson told CBS Sports that the league will review the situation with the team.
Watch the hit below:
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