Johnny Manziel took a huge hit and appeared to suffer a head injury in his second CFL start but was not taken out of the game
- Johnny Manziel made his second start for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL after being acquired in a mid-season trade.
- Manziel showed improvement in his second start, but he did take a huge hit that left many wondering if he had suffered a concussion.
- Manziel was examined after the hit but did not miss any plays and was not removed from the game.
Johnny Manziel showed improvements in his second start for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, but there was also a lot of concern that he suffered a concussion despite not being taken out of the game.
The play came on a scramble near the end zone when Manziel lowered his head and collided head-first with a defender. Manziel immediately fumbled and made no effort to recover the ball as he fell limp to the field. A teammate recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
After the play, Manziel needed to be helped up by teammates, and then he ran off the field shaking his head. Here is the play, via ESPN+.
It is unclear if Manziel went through concussion protocol after the play, but he was not removed from the game. In the brief time Manziel was shown on the sideline being examined, one person was talking to him while another was rubbing his neck.
According to CFL rules, "If a player is suspected to have a concussion, that player must be removed from play and assessed for a concussion immediately." The CFL also uses spotters to monitor all players for possible head injuries and decisions to remove players from the game are up to the medical staff with coaches and players having no say in the matter.
Manziel was 16-26 for 168 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions after throwing four interceptions in his first start following his trade from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Montreal lost to the Ottawa Redblacks, 24-17.