Colt McCoy not cleared to play as Cleveland Browns prepare to face James Harrison – NFL News
The Cleveland Browns are preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison once again this season but this time without their quarterback Colt McCoy.
As of the latest McCoy who recently made headlines over handling of his head injury by his team has not been cleared to practice and will therefore remain out of their game against the Steelers this Sunday.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur said despite that Colt McCoy increased his physical activity and felt much better has not been cleared to practice or play in a game.
"He needs to be medically cleared before he can practice or play and that hasn't happened," Shurmur said. "He's not passing it, so whatever that means, until it's passed he can't play and it's pretty cut and dry."
Colt McCoy suffered concussion in the Steelers game about three weeks ago when he came into contact with James Harrison in a helmet-to-helmet hit. He has not played a game or practice since.
He was the latest Browns’ player to have suffered concussion as a result of hit involving Harrison in last two years. Their wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi are other players who were inflicted head injuries as a result of helmet-to-helmet
hit last season.
Cribbs is the player who still holds on to the hit memories. When asked if the Browns ‘owe’ to James Harrison, he admitted that was the case.
"I would say so," Cribbs said. "But we're not going into this game thinking about getting even with him. We're going into this game trying to win it. It's nothing personal with him. We'd like to knock their guys out as well, but within the whistle, according
to the rules."
The McCoy’s hit was Harrison’s fifth consecutive foul in last three years and according to his latest statement he is still unsure to be able to avoid it in the future.
Steelers’ linebacker became the first player to have been handed down a game suspension under enhanced measures on concussion by the NFL.
The controversy surrounding handling of McCoy’s head injury by the Browns also prompted an inquiry by the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) of the Browns facilities and protocols at the Cleveland. McCoy was sent back on to the field without testing
for concussion.
Its outcome has resulted in placing of a certified athletic trainer at the press box during each game to assist teams’ medical staff in monitoring, assessing and treating players for concussions.
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