Brandon Flowers in doubt for Thursday
Brandon Flowers briefly returned to the field Sunday.
Doing so Thursday will be difficult.
The Chargers cornerback suffered a concussion against the Chiefs, the injury apparently coming on a collision with running back Jamaal Charles during a second-quarter touchdown run. Flowers played part of the next defensive series before sitting out the rest of the game. He very well could be sidelined Thursday versus the Broncos.
Cornerback Jason Verrett (shoulder) also may miss the game.
A concussion is not an ankle sprain. It’s not a groin ailment. It’s a brain injury.
The timetable for return is unclear and fluid, requiring the clearance of steps outlined in the NFL’s concussion protocol. While not impossible, it generally is considered difficult for a player who is concussed Sunday to play Thursday. Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker didn’t play the Chargers last year on Thursday night upon suffering a concussion in the same timeframe.
Flowers, however briefly, played Sunday after initial testing.
He fell to the ground following the collision with Charles, placing his hands on his helmet. Referee Bill Vinovich astutely monitored Flowers and walked with him toward the Chargers sideline, signaling for him to be evaluated. The team did its diligence, asking Flowers questions on the bench for the next several minutes.
Flowers complied. He followed directions to stand up, alternating lifts of his left and right leg in order to check his balance. When the defense went back on the field, so did Flowers.
An independent neurological consultant is on the sideline of every NFL game. Head athletic trainer James Collins and head team physician Christopher Wahl were among the others to closely monitor the situation.
“They evaluate that,” coach Mike McCoy said. “If they say the player can go back out there, the player goes back out. ... After further evaluation, he came out of the game.”
Flowers was pulled after five plays.
Loss aside, he was seen in good spirits after the game. His chance to play the next one would be higher if not for it coming on a short week.
Concussion protocol requires gradual steps of rest and recovery, light aerobic exercise, continued aerobic exercise with an introduction to strength training, and then football specific activities before gaining clearance for full football activity.
