BEREA: Often overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the Browns’ handling of quarterback Colt McCoy’s concussion is this sobering fact: In the same game Dec. 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Benjamin Watson suffered his third concussion since training camp.
Watson, one of the Browns’ best offensive players in each of the past two seasons, was placed on injured reserve Friday. McCoy and rookie fullback Owen Marecic, who also suffered a concussion against the Steelers, have been ruled out for Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals (6-7) and did not travel with the team Friday afternoon.
The Browns (4-9) filled Watson’s spot by promoting fullback Eddie Williams from their practice squad to their active roster. Watson was evaluated by a specialist on head injuries earlier this week and did not practice.
“He’s disappointed, but it’s the right course of action right now,” Shurmur said of Watson. “I think he wishes he could still be with us, but we’ll make this move now and hopefully get him back next year.”
Watson’s string of concussions began July 30, when he took an inadvertent knee to his helmet during the Browns’ first practice of training camp. He then suffered a concussion Oct. 23 against the Seattle Seahawks and sat out all but one play from scrimmage in the second half. He left the game against the Steelers after free safety Ryan Clark hit him on an incomplete pass with 3:37 left in the second quarter.
“It’s a very difficult situation to put yourself in, and he’s a father, he’s a husband,” tight end Alex Smith said. “You have to look outside of football, and take those things into consideration. It’s one of those things where he feels good, he feels like he can still play but kind of [needs] to be smart about the situation.
“Ben’s one of our key players. He’s been one of our leaders here for the last couple of years. It’s definitely a big blow for us, but we just have to take the motto of ‘next man up.’ ”
Watson ranks second on the team in catches (37) and receiving yards (410). Last season, he led the Browns in both categories with 68 catches for 763 yards.
Despite the concussions, Watson did not miss a game this season. He’ll sit out the final three.
“That’s a big loss,” tight end Evan Moore said. “I mean all of us are really close with Ben. We wish him the best, too, in his recovery. I know that’s a decision he had to make with the doctors for his family [and] his own well-being.
“As far as we know, as far as the research that’s been done and all that, the more [concussions] you get, the scarier it is. So I think we as players take that pretty seriously.”
Incidentally, the NFL fined Watson $7,500 Friday for his late hit on Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds in the second quarter. He was penalized for unnecessary roughness.
Watson’s teammates expect him to return next season. He has one year left on the three-year contract he signed on March 12, 2010, to join the Browns as an unrestricted free agent.
“He’s pretty much just saying he’s done for these last few games,” Smith said. “I’m sure he’ll probably bounce back for next year.”
Meanwhile, several Browns players hope the league and the NFL Players Association can take steps to better handle concussions. McCoy sat out two plays and re-entered the game late in the fourth quarter after he suffered a concussion as a result of a vicious helmet-to-facemask hit from Steelers linebacker James Harrison. The NFL denied Harrison’s appeal of his one-game suspension on Friday.
Representatives from the NFL and players’ union met with the Browns this week to discuss the incident involving McCoy. Changes to the league’s protocol for handling concussions could be made.
“I think that’s something that we could’ve addressed in the CBA before we finished things up,” Moore said. “I think we as players tried to push for health issues, but I think we sacrificed a couple things in the interest of getting the business side of it done.
“I thought we could have done a better job as a union — that’s how I personally feel — of making sure we look after players first. … It’s something we could have done better and the unfortunate thing is we have a 10-year CBA with no opt out, so we’ve gotta try to find a way to get it done before then.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at http://browns.ohio.com. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/browns.abj.
