Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore has been urged to retire after he suffered a scary concussion against the New York Jets.
Moore entered concussion protocol after he slammed his head into the turf in the second quarter against the Jets. Moore appeared to convulse on the ground several times before he was able to get up and leave the field with the Browns training staff.
Dr. Bennet Omalu — who is the inspiration behind the movie “Concussion” — thinks Moore should step away from football.
“That is my recommendation,” Omalu told TMZ Sports. “He was having a seizure. A seizure is a manifestation of brain damage, brain injury. … That is permanent damage.”
Omalu said that if Moore does intend to play football again, he should be out for at least three months.
“Given what I saw in that video, he should be benched for [the] rest of the season,” Omalu said.
Browns Say Elijah Moore is Doing ‘Better’
Moore spent the night in the hospital after the matchup against the Jets. He’s since been released and is back home recovering.
“I don’t have a ton of other information other than say that he’s doing better, he’s home. I’ve been texting with him,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Friday, December 29. “Those are always scary, as we all know. But I will say this about him.”
Despite playing just a half against the Jets, Moore had one of his best games of the season. He snagged five catches for 61 yards and scored a touchdown. He’s having a career-year in Cleveland with 640 yards on 59 catches — both career highs.
“I’m very proud of him. He was getting going,” Stefanski said. “I thought the route he ran for that touchdown was outstanding. He’s done a great job for us. And with Amari (Cooper) going down, put him over there in that spot and didn’t miss a beat. I mean, the play he made to break up was almost an interception, break it up, grab it. He was outstanding.”
Browns Unsure if Amari Cooper Will be Ready for Week 18
The Browns played without Moore and Cooper for the majority of the game against the Jets. Cooper was a pregame scratch after testing out his heel injury before the game.
He was coming off a record-setting performance against the Houston Texans. Cooper recorded 265 yards on 11 catches with a pair of touchdowns. He suffered the heel injury on the opening play of the game against the Texans, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
The Browns are unsure if Cooper will be available for their season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 7.
“In Amari’s case, he couldn’t go and he tried like crazy,” Stefanski said. “But I do think rest will be a big deal this weekend and then we’ll see how he’s doing next week.”
Cooper’s availability could end up being a moot point, at least for Week 18. The Browns could rest their starters for the final week of the season if they don’t have a chance at the AFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the postseason.
If the Baltimore Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Browns will be out of the running and likely locked into the No. 5 seed.
