The NFL wants defenseless receivers to be hit low and not high to protect said defenseless receivers from getting concussions. But low hits can result in knee injuries.
They also can result in concussions.
Per a league source, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a concussion along with his knee injury as a result of the hit he absorbed from Browns defensive back T.J. Ward. Gronkowski’s head banged against the turf at Gillette Stadium after Ward’s shot to the knee toppled Gronkowski to the ground.
The concussion, we’re told, is slight. But it’s still a concussion.
Which provides a different context for the question of whether a defenseless receiver would prefer a high hit and a concussion to a low hit and a knee injury. For some low hits, the defenseless receiver gets both.