Vikings tight end John Carlson missed Thursday night’s game against the Buccaneers because of a concussion suffered on Sunday against the Cardinals. Now the player who caused that concussion has been fined by the NFL.
Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson, who nailed Carlson with a blindside block that caused the concussion, has been fined $21,000 by the NFL for the hit. Johnson also got a 15-yard penalty for the illegal blindside block.
That’s not much consolation for Carlson, and the concussion is a particular concern given Carlson’s history: He had to be hospitalized in January of 2011, when he was playing for the Seahawks and he suffered a serious concussion against the Bears. And he had at least two concussions during his college career at Notre Dame.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier says he does not believe the rest of Carlson’s season could be in jeopardy.
“Not at this point,” Frazier said. “None of the doctors have indicated to me that it’s something we have to be concerned about long-term. There will be a lot more discussions, because he hasn’t been cleared yet, but at this point, no, not a concern about his long-term future.”
Here’s hoping Carlson can be cleared to return soon. It’s a concern any time a player suffers a concussion, but it’s particularly alarming that Carlson could miss significant time all because Johnson delivered an illegal hit.