The Tennessee Titans have placed a key member of the defense into the concussion protocol after a UTV accident over the weekend.
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Linebacker Cedric Gray remains a question mark for the season-opening game against the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 13. He will have to work his way back to health while clearing the various stages of the NFL's concussion protocol.
"Over the weekend, Cedric Gray was involved in a UTV accident in Tennessee and sustained a concussion and minor injuries," the team said in a statement.
"We look forward to Cedric returning to the field soon and in full health when he clears the NFL's concussion protocol."
This process has multiple aspects. The player must first avoid any activities that will aggravate the concussion symptoms. They may then participate in non-football activities while working back to full health.
The final stage of the process is undergoing an examination by an independent neurological consultant. If the consultant and the team physician agree that the player can return to team activities, the player will be eligible to suit up for the next game.
Gray will have mere days to check these boxes on the recovery list after his UTV accident. One factor working in his favor is the location of the game. The Titans will host the Jets at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.
This doesn't change the timeline for teams releasing their inactives list, but it removes the travel day from the equation.
Gray, 23, is set to start his third season with the Titans after being selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He only played in seven games as a rookie while playing 71% of snaps on special teams, but he became a 16-game starter last season.
The third-year linebacker has posted 186 combined tackles, one sack, three quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries.
