Wes Welker Injury: Updates on Broncos WR's Concussion and Return (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeu37yC2eRaTbVV_pOP6w46Qzt4XQxR2-TDgLib2ItSdysKugf9R59PDmV5U86HiI_8CJNiU_IQdu6zlZlZBccTxm-_E_T5unzVaadYIdouzT4N6HE7r07SjlIj0B837IH4ZB7qjXtkk/s1600/nfl_g_welker_gb1_600x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeu37yC2eRaTbVV_pOP6w46Qzt4XQxR2-TDgLib2ItSdysKugf9R59PDmV5U86HiI_8CJNiU_IQdu6zlZlZBccTxm-_E_T5unzVaadYIdouzT4N6HE7r07SjlIj0B837IH4ZB7qjXtkk/s320/nfl_g_welker_gb1_600x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="article-body" data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ESPN's <em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SportsCenter </em>Twitter account (via ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Jeff Legwold) reports <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/wes-welker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wes Welker</a> is unlikely to play again until the postseason:</div><br /><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mortensen and Legwold provided additional context via ESPN.com:</div><blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; margin: 25px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 10px; quotes: none; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The team's hope is that Welker, who left games in Week 11 and Week 14 with concussions, will recover in time to play in the postseason. Welker continues to be evaluated by the team's medical staff and an independent doctor as part of the league's concussion protocol.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A third concussion in such a short span could end Welker's season, and one source said the player's well-being is "still the highest priority."</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welker has not been medically cleared to practice, but on Thursday he spent some time working with the strength and conditioning staff in the team's weight room.</span></div></blockquote><span style="background-color: transparent;">Gray Caldwell of DenverBroncos.com reports that Welker is officially out.</span></div><div class="entry" data-id="512698" id="entry-512698" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-body" data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-1" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com confirms <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/wes-welker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Welker</a> has yet to be medically cleared to even return to practice:</div><blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; margin: 25px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 10px; quotes: none; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5941/wes-welker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wes Welker</a><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> has not been medically cleared to return to practice, and</span><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/den/denver-broncos" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Denver Broncos</a><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> coach John Fox said only that the wide receiver is "day-to-day.''</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">[...]</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Before he can play in a game, Welker would have to be declared symptom-free by both the Broncos' medical staff and a designated independent physician who has been approved by the NFL and the players' association. Welker would then have to proceed through multiple days of limited activity before he could return to practice on a limited basis.</span><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></div></blockquote></div></div><div class="entry" data-id="506800" id="entry-506800" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-body" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As expected, Welker was officially listed on the <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/denver-broncos" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Broncos</a> inactives list for Week 15 vs. the <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/san-diego-chargers" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">San Diego Chargers</a> according to the <a href="http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Inactives-Broncos-vs-Chargers/ed40a8d3-89c2-48c3-876c-f3a46309c259?campaign=den:fanshare:twitter" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Denver Post</em></a>. </div></div></div><div class="entry" data-id="506352" id="entry-506352" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-header" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 20px inset; background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 20px inset; height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="entry-body" data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-4" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports Denver Broncos wide receiver <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/wes-welker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wes Welker</a> will not play in Week 15.</div></div></div><div class="entry" data-id="504800" id="entry-504800" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-body" data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-6" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Denver Broncos wide receiver <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/wes-welker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wes Welker</a> suffered a concussion in their Week 14 matchup with the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter. The team's official Twitter account confirmed the news.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welker, <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">one of <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/peyton-manning" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Peyton Manning</a>'s most reliable weapons, </span>suffered the injury on a hit by Titans safety Bernard Pollard. After Welker went down to catch a ball, Pollard came crashing in and delivered a blow to Welker's head and neck.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A few plays later, Pollard hit <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/eric-decker" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eric Decker</a> and was then flagged for unnecessary roughness as a result, though it appeared Pollard led with his shoulder.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mike Pereira, the former vice president of officiating for the <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/nfl" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">NFL</a> and current rules guru for Fox Sports, disagreed with the penalty.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welker had five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. The slot receiver has compiled 73 receptions for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ESPN's <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10105779/wes-welker-denver-broncos-suffers-concussion-miss-thursday-night-game" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #003366; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeff Legwold</a> reports that Welker will likely miss Thursday's game against the Chargers: </div><blockquote style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; background-color: #eeeeee; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0470588) 0px 0px 15px inset; margin: 25px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 10px; quotes: none; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 1px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Welker is now subject to the NFL's concussion protocol, which will include baseline testing Monday. However, even if Welker were to be cleared for activity this week with that exam, the protocol would preclude him from playing in Thursday night's game against the San Diego Chargers.</em></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Broncos are fighting for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and they'll need all their playmakers healthy for the final few weeks of the regular season. But this is Welker's second concussion of the season, which means the team will be especially cautious with his return.  </div></div></div></div>

Wes Welker Injury: Updates on Broncos WR's Concussion and Return (BLOG)

ESPN's SportsCenter Twitter account (via ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Jeff Legwold) reports Wes Welker is unlikely to play again until the postseason:Mortensen and Legwold provided additional context via ESPN.com:The team's hope is that Welker, who lef…

Read more »