National Football League

Browns' Pool out with concussion

Published Dec. 5, 2009 1:39 p.m. ET

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Cleveland Browns safety Brodney Pool may be facing a decision on his NFL career after sustaining another concussion. Pool, a starter and five-year veteran, suffered at least his fourth known concussion in the third quarter on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Browns coach Eric Mangini said Pool would not play this week against San Diego and indicated the 25-year-old Pool's season could be over. "It's not looking very positive," Mangini said Wednesday. "He's definitely not going to play this weekend and there's a chance he won't be playing again this year." Mangini said no decisions have been made about Pool's future beyond 2009. "We haven't talked about the long term," he said. "That's a discussion for a later time period. You never want to have a conversation about injuries with anybody, but unfortunately it's something that is a reality and it's never a fun conversation but they are always important." Mangini did not say whether the Browns (1-10) will place Pool on injured reserve. If so, Pool would be the fourth defensive starter to be placed on IR, joining Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and inside linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton. Pool has started 10 games this season and 49 since the Browns selected him in the second round of the 2005 draft out of Oklahoma. In Sunday's 16-7 loss, Pool was injured early in the second half. He walked off the field, was escorted to the locker room and did not return to the sideline. Mangini wasn't sure how Pool was injured. Pool's situation has many of his teammates concerned about his health - and their own. With concussions a hot-button topic in the league, players are learning more about the dangers of head injuries and their lasting effects. Browns linebacker David Bowens has seen a big change in the way teams are treating concussed players. "Early in my career, it was like, 'OK, he's got a concussion, can he count to three?' Now it's a big deal. You see how the older players, how it's affected their lives post-career and it is a serious issue. I think the awareness level has definitely heightened because of it, and the teams are taking better precautions. Safety issues regarding helmets, that's gone up. There's a lot of steps being taken." Browns wide receiver Mike Furrey said he spoke on Tuesday to former teammate Kurt Warner, who missed Arizona's game last week against Tennessee with post-concussion symptoms. "I don't think anybody really has an understanding yet of the symptoms and why things are happening the way they're happening," Furrey said. "There's no answers." Furrey said it's not uncommon for a player to lie to a team doctor to keep playing. "When you're talking about a little headache throughout the week, you obviously feel like you're still going to be able to play on Sunday," he said. "But nobody knows the extremities of those headaches or the difference of a light one or a heavy one or not having any other symptoms, being nauseated and sick throughout the week. "As a competitor you want to keep playing, so obviously you probably would stretch the story just a little bit to get back on the field and it's just the nature of any athlete that wants to play on Sundays." Furrey, who could replace Pool at safety, said he spoke briefly with his injured teammate on Monday. "I haven't seen him since," he said. "You know, it's crazy because you always look normal. Your pupils might be dilated a little bit, but that's the weirdest part. You feel normal, but you do an activity, you go out and run and symptoms recur. They linger. It's not fun, but you feel good during the day, you feel like you can play."