Austin Collie Leaves Game With Concussion After Big Hit

More good news from Philadelphia: Austin Collie apparently has nothing more than a concussion.

This is according to a tweet from Indianapolis radio host Kevin Lee, who says he spoke with Colts coach Jim Caldwell and was told that Collie has a concussion. Collie remains in the locker room and was earlier reported to be “sitting up and alert.“

Upon returning to the CBS broadcast in the second half, Jim Nantz informed viewers that Colts president Bill Polian told CBS that receiver Austin Collie is in the Colts locker room, is “sitting up and is alert,” and is believed by Colts officials to have only a concussion.

That would be a best-case scenario after the big hit that Collie took in the second quarter of today’s Eagles-Colts game; in the immediate wake of the hit, it appeared that Collie could have been paralyzed. (Watch video of the hit here.)

Collie was hit hard from the left and behind, and appeared to lose consciousness either as he fell to the ground or immediately after his helmet bounced against the field. (The Eagles were flagged for an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver, but it’s not clear whether that was the correct call.) Collie stayed down for several minutes and was removed from the field on a stretcher. He is unlikely to return to the game.

There is no official diagnosis of Collie’s injury, but his symptoms on the field appeared consistent with a concussion. His arms appeared to lock and extend from his sides uncontrollably, which is a behavior known as the “fencing response” and a common symptom of concussions.