Jordan Cameron still not cleared, Cleveland Browns shouldn’t play him
Vincent Rey (57) tackles Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron (84) during the game at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati won 41-20. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns star tight end Jordan Cameron was tabbed as a breakout player prior to the 2012 season, but his breakout season came this year. The uber-athletic TE caught just 20 passes last season, but the 25-year-old USC product has exploded for 75 receptions, 848 yards, and seven touchdowns in 14 games this season. Cameron has been an absolute beast, and he and Josh Gordon give the Browns an incredible 1-2 punch that will greatly benefit the Browns next franchise quarterback.
The Browns would be wise, however, to officially cut his season short. Cameron suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 15 loss to the Chicago Bears after catching just three passes for 23 yards, and he actually didn’t know he had a concussion until experiencing symptoms the day after. This concussion is significant enough to have caused Cameron to miss the game against the New York Jets (he never had a chance at playing, either), and he still hasn’t been cleared from the injury.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, Jordan Cameron hasn’t been cleared to practice yet, and there is a very low chance that he’s cleared to practice tomorrow- let alone cleared to play this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns are still holding out hope that both things will happen for Cameron, but that seems like wistful thinking.
Cameron’s dealt with concussion issues at various points in his career, so the Browns would be wise to cut his season short. He’s been phenomenal this year, and there’s simply no point in risking anything this week. Concussions should obviously be treated with the utmost cautiousness, and it would be very imprudent to play one of their best players in a meaningless game when he has a concussion. Yes, it would be nice to get sweet revenge on the rival Steelers and completely crush their playoff chances, but is it worth risking Cameron? Definitely not. The Browns need to place him on the injured reserve, give him an extra game off of his regular season, and celebrate the fact that they have one of the game’s best tight ends. Even if he is somehow cleared to play, concussions are tricky business and should not be dealt with haphazardly.