Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle went to the locker room in the first half of Sunday’s game at Carolina after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit while attempting to make a catch. Denver has not announced a diagnosis, and under the NFL’s concussion protocol, a player showing possible signs of a head injury is examined by team medical staff and an independent neurotrauma consultant. A player diagnosed with a concussion cannot return to the game. Denver led 10-0 when he left.
Jaylen Waddle Concussion History
Waddle has been through this before. On September 17, 2023, with the Dolphins, he took a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the fourth quarter of a win over the Patriots from rookie Marte Mapu, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness and fined $5,620. Waddle, who had four catches for 86 yards in the game, went directly to the medical tent, was ruled out for the rest of the game, and went into the concussion protocol. He missed the following week’s game against Denver, cleared the protocol later that week, and returned at Buffalo. He said he did not experience concussion symptoms while in the protocol. His injury history before that game did not include any concussions, and it is the only diagnosed concussion in his NFL career.
The timing of the schedule works in Denver’s favor. The Broncos, 6-2 entering the day, have a bye next week, and their next game is November 22 against the Raiders, which would allow Waddle to work through the protocol’s multi-step process without missing a game if he is diagnosed. That timeline is not guaranteed and depends on how he responds, but it lowers the immediate cost.
