The Cleveland Browns entered Week 5 with a 3-1 record for their matchup against the New York Jets, who were 1-3. But the Jets secured a 17-12 win at MetLife on Sunday, not only sinking the Browns’ record to 3-2, but also taking out rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion with a brutal tackle.
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Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was flagged for a personal foul and issued a 15-yard penalty after leading with his head bowed forward, causing helmet-to-helmet contact against Concepcion and giving him a concussion. However, Concepcion has since provided an update on his condition.
“Yall know I’m good thanks to the lord and savior,” Concepcion posted on his Instagram Story, along with a picture of himself looking into the camera, via WEWS reporter Camryn Justice on X.
The incident happened during the Browns’ second drive of the game. The team was at first-and-10, late into the first quarter, when quarterback Deshaun Watson threw a deep pass to Concepcion. Just as the wide receiver caught the ball near the Jets’ 12-yard line, Fitzpatrick charged into him, helmet-first.
The tackle loosened the rookie receiver’s hold on the ball, and he remained motionless on the ground for a few moments before medical staff rushed to evaluate him for a concussion.
Although Concepcion managed to walk off the field without assistance, the Browns ruled him out for the remainder of the game. NFL insider Daniel Oyefusi later confirmed that Concepcion has entered the league’s concussion protocol after taking the hit.
Although in cases of a mild concussion, a player can return to the field within a week, the league’s median recovery time is nine days. With the Browns’ Week 6 game on October 18, it is unclear if the rookie will make it back in time.
In the same game, the Jets safety also earned a penalty against a defenseless receiver. Fitzpatrick grabbed and pulled on KC Concepcion’s facemask while attempting to make a tackle, dragging the receiver out of bounds and causing his helmet to come off.
The 2026 first-round draft pick has recorded 149 yards and 18 receptions across five games. Before being ruled out, the rookie caught one pass for five yards in the Week 5 game. He was replaced by Isaiah Bond, while Denzel Boston and Jerry Jeudy took on expanded roles in coverage and target sharing.
While this had led to outcry among fans and calls to the NFL to ban the safety for repeated instances of unnecessary roughness, not everyone agreed that it was intentional. Most surprisingly, Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken publicly defended Fitzpatrick after the game.
Browns HC Puts Forward His Take on Jets Safety’s Brutal Hit
During the press conference after the game, Monken vouched for Fitzpatrick and was of the opinion that the safety had never proven himself to be a dirty player during his time in the NFL.
“That’s just a bang-bang play,” Monken said after the game. “Minkah’s been in this league a long time. I mean, he’s not a dirty player. I’ve never seen that out of him. I mean, it’s a bang-bang play. And unfortunately, it happened to our guy, and that’s part of the league.”
Monken went on to reason that injuries were a part of football and every team keeps losing players to injuries as the weeks go by. The head coach, who approached the incident with an ‘it is what it is’ mindset, said that in the end, when one player gets injured, the team relies on the next person who takes their place.
Monken also refused to blame Concepcion’s injury and exit for their loss in the Week 5 matchup. He emphasized the expectations that a player in any position shoulders, and stated that the Browns’ offense just hadn’t performed as well as they needed to.