Concussion may sideline Garrett for Sunday’s game
Top overall pick tied for first among rookies with 4 sacks.
Cleveland Browns BEREA — rookie defensive end Myles Garrett has been placed in the league concussion protocol, the club announced Tuesday.
He’s unlikely to play the Vikings in London on Sunday but had not yet been ruled out, a team spokes- man said.
There are no travel restrictions on Garrett, and he can make the trip if he progresses by the time the team leaves for London after practice Friday.
The Browns say Garrett reported to the team facility Tuesday with concus- sion-like symptoms, likely suffering the concussion in Sunday’s 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.
It’s an unfortunate setback for Garrett. This year’s No. 1 overall draft pick is tied for first among NFL rookies in sacks with four despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain. He joined former Oakland Raiders defen- sive tackle Tommy Kelly (2004) and former Browns outside linebacker Barkevi- ous Mingo (2013) as the only players since 2004 to record at least one sack in each of his first three NFL games.
After being limited to 19 and 33 snaps in his first two games coming off the high-ankle sprain, Garrett made his first career start Sunday, playing 57 of 72 snaps and registering four tackles, including a sack.
The Browns (0-7) already will be without Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame-bound left tackle Joe Thomas, who is out for the season with a triceps injury suffered in Sunday’s overtime loss to Tennessee.
Thomas repaired: Thomas underwent surgery to repair his left triceps Tuesday, the team announced. Team physician Dr. James Voos performed the surgery at University Hospitals and a full recovery is expected.
Thomas had his streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps snapped in the third quarter Sunday, believed to be the longest in NFL history. He had never missed a play since entering the league as No. 3 pick in the 2007 draft out of Wisconsin.
Thomas said Monday that his rehab could take between six and nine months. He wouldn’t say whether he would consider retiring, saying that was a decision left for the offseason.
Thomas is in his 11th season in the league and turns 33 in December.
Support for Joe: Count former Browns quarterback — and Cleveland native — Brian Hoyer among those rooting for Thomas.
“No one would have questioned him, if in one of those seasons that wasn’t going so great, if he had a bad shoulder and he didn’t play the game,” said Hoyer, now with the 49ers. “It would’ve been a natural thing to do, but he toughed it out.”
There have been plenty of those. The Browns have gone 48-119 in Thomas’ 167 starts.
“It just shows his character and how much pride he takes in it that he was able to do it for that long because trust me, there’s no way you play that long and not have something that’s bothering you,” Hoyer said.
Thomas pushed through knee injuries (a torn lateral collateral ligament and three torn medial collateral ligaments) and two high-ankle sprains in previous seasons.