Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed cornerback Sam Shields is in the league’s concussion protocol after leaving Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McCarthy Sam Shields is in the concussion protocol.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) September 12, 2016
Concussions are concerning for all football players, but Shields is now dealing with his fourth brain injury since the start of his college football career at the University of Miami.
“We’ll evaluate Sam each and every day,” McCarthy said, while making it clear the Packers are fully aware of his concussion history.
His latest injury came during the fourth quarter on Sunday, when he assisted in a tackle of Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon. He walked off the field but left the game and didn’t return.
Shields had one concussion in college. He now has three in the NFL, including his first in 2011 and a second last season. Shields missed three games and Green Bay’s NFC Wild Card Round win over Washington because of that head injury.
It’s unknown how long Shields will miss with his latest concussion. Recoveries from a head injury are notoriously hard to predict, especially in players with previous concussions.
Shields struggled with his 2015 head injury.
“Concussions — one minute you feel better, the next minute you don’t. You never know,” Shields said, via Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I didn’t want to risk something serious happening and then my career would be over with. I don’t like them. The headaches are tough.”
Shields, 28, helped the Packers hold Jaguars star receiver Allen Robinson to just six catches on 15 targets on Sunday. If he’s out for an extended period of time, Green Bay will likely have to lean more on second-year cornerback Quinten Rollins, who was benched after giving up big plays in Jacksonville.
