When Colts wide receiver Austin Collie suffered another concussion during preseason play, there was a lot of speculation that it might be the beginning of the end of his playing career.
The concussion was Collie’s fourth in the last 21 months and coach Chuck Pagano said that the team would proceed with caution in regard to Collie’s return. That proclamation, plus the NFL’s stepped-up concussion protocols, seemed to present an obstacle to a quick return to work. Not too great an obstacle for Collie to clear, however.
Phillip Wilson of the Indianapolis Star reports that Pagano said Monday that Collie is “full go” in practice and that the receiver’s chances of playing on Sunday against the Bears “look good.” That’s not what we were expecting to hear so close to Collie’s last head injury, although it is a reminder that concussions come in all different shapes, sizes and severity.
The cumulative effect of them is still a concern, but, as Collie’s father recently made clear, they represent a risk that Collie is willing to take at this point in his career. Unlike the claims being made by many of Collie’s predecessors, there’s no argument that he doesn’t know what that risk entailed should it come back to haunt him.