Titans linebacker Cedric Gray in concussion protocol after UTV crash

Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray has entered the NFL’s concussion protocol after the team was involved in a utility vehicle accident over the weekend in Tennessee. he said in a statement. Monday.

It is unclear if he will be available for the Titans’ season opener against the New York Jets on Sunday. In order to play Sunday, he will have to complete a return-to-participation program that includes an evaluation and clearance by an independent neurologist assigned to the Titans.

Gray, 23, finished fourth in the NFL with 164 tackles last season, second in the league. Drafted in the fourth round in 2024 out of North Carolina.

“Over the weekend, Cedric Gray was involved in a UTV accident in Tennessee and suffered a concussion and minor injuries,” the team said. “As Cedric clears the NFL concussion protocol, we look forward to his return to the field soon and at full health.”

Gray’s collision is the latest in a series of incidents involving football players and off-road vehicles. Georgia running back. Dante DowdellExpected to be a key backup for the Bulldogs this season, he was seriously injured in an ATV accident near his home in Picayune, Miss., Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said in July. Dowdell, who played for Kentucky last season, wrote in an Instagram update that he suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and nerve damage in his hand and needed nine stitches in his head.

Former New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney missed seven games of the 2022 season and is now with the Green Bay Packers. Injuring his hand At an ATV event in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. McKinney said later He almost lost three fingers Because of the injury.

In 2017, defensive lineman Malik McDowell After being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round, he suffered a head injury in an ATV accident. McDowell repeatedly got into legal trouble and never played a game for the Seahawks; He returned briefly in 2021 with the Cleveland Browns.