When Jahvid Best suffered a concussion against the 49ers, there was talk that the Lions hoped he could return for Week 10 against the Bears, after the Week 9 bye. Now the Lions have reached their bye week, and coach Jim Schwartz says he’s not sure if Best is coming back or not.
“We’ll see,” Schwartz said, via the Detroit News. “You can’t have a timetable on these things.”
Best’s injury is of particular concern because it’s his second concussion of the year and because he suffered a very serious concussion that prematurely brought his college career to an end. There’s even been talk that Best could shut it down for the entire 2011 season.
Schwartz promised that the Lions will let the medical staff and Best decide when he’s ready to go, and not put any pressure on him to return quickly.
“The one thing we will be sure to do is be objective and listen to the people who are the experts in these decisions,” Schwartz said. “Like I’ve said a hundred times, it’s not something you can put tape on or tough out. We have to be conservative.”
When it comes to concussions, a conservative approach is the approach every coach should have.