Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs, and was soon ruled out for the rest of the game. Wilson took a hit on a running play in the red zone and appeared to be knocked unconscious. Wilson slowly walked off the field under his own power with the Broncos' medical team, but he would not return.
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett confirmed Monday that Wilson is in the concussion protocol, which puts his status for Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals up in the air.
"His safety is by far the No. 1 most important thing," said Hackett.
In his absence, backup quarterback Brett Rypien came in to lead the offense. Rypien was able to finish out the drive with a touchdown.
Here is a look at the play where Wilson got hurt:
Russell Wilson looks bad after this hit. Dizzy, and losing balance. I hope he is okay.
— Sports ON Tap Seattle (@SONTSeattle) December 11, 2022
Seahawks fans, pray for the man. Hate to see this 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/cFmOpigIeE
Here is a closer look at Wilson's head shot:
With seemingly visible signs of loss of balance and disorientation, try as he might, don't see how @DangeRussWilson returns. pic.twitter.com/eLcYneUiX9
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) December 11, 2022
After the hit, Wilson was shown on the CBS broadcast with a very visible bump on his head.
This close-up of the Russell Wilson injury 😳 pic.twitter.com/GSUnpgQwpz
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 12, 2022
The Broncos went on to lose the game 34-28. The Broncos were expected to be blown out, but they managed to stay with the Chiefs for the last two-plus quarters of the team. Even with three interceptions off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Wilson throwing three touchdowns, they were unable to keep up with Kansas City.
Now, all eyes will be on Wilson to see if he'll be able to play in Week 15 against Arizona. It's worth pointing out that Denver was officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14, so that does alleviate some pressure Wilson and the Broncos to get him back onto the field. If he is unable to go, Rypien would get the nod.