(On Wednesday’s practice)
“I got through practice today. I was a little tired, but I don’t know if that was from being off for 10 days. I guess we’ll just keep things monitored throughout the week and see how things go.” (On Wednesday’s practice)
“I got through practice today. I was a little tired, but I don’t know if that was from being off for 10 days. I guess we’ll just keep things monitored throughout the week and see how things go.”
(On if he’s definitely starting on Sunday)
“I wouldn’t say that. I haven’t been able to do anything for the last 10 days. There was a baseline test. I passed that. That was just to get me back on the practice field. I’m going to keep talking to the doctors and keep monitoring how things go the next couple days and we’ll go from there.”
(On the tests he’s had to take)
“I just took one test last week that we had taken in the spring – the baseline test. I wasn’t up to where I needed to be. I took it again yesterday and I got back to that level. Like I said, that allowed me to do physical work again.”
(On what the baseline test entails)
“It’s just a lot of numbers and shapes and different things to check your memory. I’m not a doctor. It’s nothing like geographical questions or anything, it’s more memory stuff.”
(On if he had any memory issues)
“Nothing that bad. My issue was how quickly I could process things. There were some small, short term memory things that I think hurt me on the test last week, but they cleared up yesterday and so I’m going in the right direction now.”
(On if the memory issues were things like remember plays and/or picking out receivers)
“I wouldn’t say that. If you’re sitting here in a classroom you could do it with no problem. I just think the speed at which I needed to do it…I would just kind of be in a fog. Like I said, I’m going to have not just opinions here, but outside of here, too. If you’re going to buy a car, you go get two or three opinions. You don’t just go to the first car dealership and accept it. I’m certainly not going to accept it with my head. I’m trying to walk a fine line between being selfish and being that team guy, but when it comes to long-term health for the rest of my life, my due diligence is going to be 100 percent and I’m not going to risk anything.”
(On the inconsistency on the offensive line factors into his decision to come back and play)
“If you’re in the NFL, I don’t care if you’re Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, you’re going to get hit, simple as that. Weighing on the decision will be the fact that I will get hit. No one’s going to go through a perfect game without getting hit. As long as all the doctors I talk to understand that I’m going to get hit, there’s going to be some head trauma and everything will be fine, I’ll be fine with going. If I have one doctor think that’s not going to be the case, I’m not going to risk it.”
(On how many doctors he saw)
“Maybe one, possibly two that have a connection. I don’t even want to get to that point. I’ve talked to them and everything I’ve understood so far, even from the Rams’ doctors, I don’t want to say they haven’t been great, they have been. I just want to make it clear that it’s a first step. When you take a baseline test it’s not, you take this test then you’re cleared to play. It’s one thing to take a test and be cleared for practice, it’s another to be cleared to play in an NFL game.”
(On if he has spoken with any players that have experienced the same thing)
“I haven’t. There have been enough guys in here that have had it. It’s pretty common knowledge around the league now with these tests. These weren’t mandatory before, now the NFL’s making us do these in the spring. I’m glad that we did it because I had something to go on last week for the first one because if last week was the first time I took it, it might have looked like this kid’s just dumb. Now that we have something to go on, I think it’s a good thing the NFL’s been doing. I have give credit to past players and guys who have gone through concussions and understand the severity of it.”
(On if he’s been cleared to play in Sunday’s game)
“Not to my knowledge, no.”
(On if his decision to return or not is influenced by the team’s record)
“If we were 12-0 right now my decision would still (be the same). With ribs and knees and things I don’t mind, but with my head, I’m going to error on the side of caution. The record has nothing to do with it. I hope that we go through this week and we have no issues, the doctors clear me and I play in Cincinnati. It will be great. I want to get back out there. I feel we have a big opportunity to do some things this week on offense. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I take head injuries more serious than anything else.”
(On when he meets with the doctors)
“I meet with them everyday. I know they’re in there. I’ll talk to my doctors on the phone and keep everyone in communication so that everyone knows exactly where I’m at. I’m the No. 1 person hoping I get cleared this week to play. It will be premature to say on Wednesday, after one practice, after 10 days, I’m still the starter. It’s too early for that.”
(On if the decision to return is his or the Rams)
“It’s the doctors. My decision is going to be based upon it. If they say I can go back in and not risk anything further. It’s a little bit complicated because it’s a head thing. It’s not an X-ray. It’s a little bit different. That’s why the communication has to be here this week. If they clear me to play, I’m going. If there is a doctor that thinks that I have a risk of further injury then I’m not going.”
(On when I decision will be made)
“I’m sure by Friday. I don’t think we can go into Saturday or Saturday night without knowing. The team has to know. I’ll talk to them today and another day after practice. Hopefully tomorrow night, they’ll let me know Friday. Communication – letting them know exactly where I am and where they stand is the most important thing right now.”
(On if he’s definitely starting on Sunday)
“I wouldn’t say that. I haven’t been able to do anything for the last 10 days. There was a baseline test. I passed that. That was just to get me back on the practice field. I’m going to keep talking to the doctors and keep monitoring how things go the next couple days and we’ll go from there.”
(On the tests he’s had to take)
“I just took one test last week that we had taken in the spring – the baseline test. I wasn’t up to where I needed to be. I took it again yesterday and I got back to that level. Like I said, that allowed me to do physical work again.”
(On what the baseline test entails)
“It’s just a lot of numbers and shapes and different things to check your memory. I’m not a doctor. It’s nothing like geographical questions or anything, it’s more memory stuff.”
(On if he had any memory issues)
“Nothing that bad. My issue was how quickly I could process things. There were some small, short term memory things that I think hurt me on the test last week, but they cleared up yesterday and so I’m going in the right direction now.”
(On if the memory issues were things like remember plays and/or picking out receivers)
“I wouldn’t say that. If you’re sitting here in a classroom you could do it with no problem. I just think the speed at which I needed to do it…I would just kind of be in a fog. Like I said, I’m going to have not just opinions here, but outside of here, too. If you’re going to buy a car, you go get two or three opinions. You don’t just go to the first car dealership and accept it. I’m certainly not going to accept it with my head. I’m trying to walk a fine line between being selfish and being that team guy, but when it comes to long-term health for the rest of my life, my due diligence is going to be 100 percent and I’m not going to risk anything.”
(On the inconsistency on the offensive line factors into his decision to come back and play)
“If you’re in the NFL, I don’t care if you’re Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, you’re going to get hit, simple as that. Weighing on the decision will be the fact that I will get hit. No one’s going to go through a perfect game without getting hit. As long as all the doctors I talk to understand that I’m going to get hit, there’s going to be some head trauma and everything will be fine, I’ll be fine with going. If I have one doctor think that’s not going to be the case, I’m not going to risk it.”
(On how many doctors he saw)
“Maybe one, possibly two that have a connection. I don’t even want to get to that point. I’ve talked to them and everything I’ve understood so far, even from the Rams’ doctors, I don’t want to say they haven’t been great, they have been. I just want to make it clear that it’s a first step. When you take a baseline test it’s not, you take this test then you’re cleared to play. It’s one thing to take a test and be cleared for practice, it’s another to be cleared to play in an NFL game.”
(On if he has spoken with any players that have experienced the same thing)
“I haven’t. There have been enough guys in here that have had it. It’s pretty common knowledge around the league now with these tests. These weren’t mandatory before, now the NFL’s making us do these in the spring. I’m glad that we did it because I had something to go on last week for the first one because if last week was the first time I took it, it might have looked like this kid’s just dumb. Now that we have something to go on, I think it’s a good thing the NFL’s been doing. I have give credit to past players and guys who have gone through concussions and understand the severity of it.”
(On if he’s been cleared to play in Sunday’s game)
“Not to my knowledge, no.”
(On if his decision to return or not is influenced by the team’s record)
“If we were 12-0 right now my decision would still (be the same). With ribs and knees and things I don’t mind, but with my head, I’m going to error on the side of caution. The record has nothing to do with it. I hope that we go through this week and we have no issues, the doctors clear me and I play in Cincinnati. It will be great. I want to get back out there. I feel we have a big opportunity to do some things this week on offense. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I take head injuries more serious than anything else.”
(On when he meets with the doctors)
“I meet with them everyday. I know they’re in there. I’ll talk to my doctors on the phone and keep everyone in communication so that everyone knows exactly where I’m at. I’m the No. 1 person hoping I get cleared this week to play. It will be premature to say on Wednesday, after one practice, after 10 days, I’m still the starter. It’s too early for that.”
(On if the decision to return is his or the Rams)
“It’s the doctors. My decision is going to be based upon it. If they say I can go back in and not risk anything further. It’s a little bit complicated because it’s a head thing. It’s not an X-ray. It’s a little bit different. That’s why the communication has to be here this week. If they clear me to play, I’m going. If there is a doctor that thinks that I have a risk of further injury then I’m not going.”
(On when I decision will be made)
“I’m sure by Friday. I don’t think we can go into Saturday or Saturday night without knowing. The team has to know. I’ll talk to them today and another day after practice. Hopefully tomorrow night, they’ll let me know Friday. Communication – letting them know exactly where I am and where they stand is the most important thing right now.”