PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Austin Collie was taken off the field on a stretcher in the second quarter Sunday after a hit to his head by Philadelphia Eagles safety Kurt Coleman.
Collie lay on the ground for several minutes Sunday while trainers worked on him, then was placed on a stretcher as players from both sidelines stood and watched and the crowd fell silent.
There was no immediate word on Collie’s condition.
The second-year receiver dropped a pass over the middle after he was hit by safeties Quintin Mikell and Coleman. Although Mikell was penalized for hitting a defenseless receiver, replays showed Coleman made contact with Collie’s helmet on the second-quarter play. Mikell appeared to hit Collie in the shoulder and chest area with his shoulder.
Since the NFL cracked down on hits to the head and neck area on Oct. 19 after a spate of them the previous weekend, there were few such fouls. The league has threatened suspensions for illegal hits to defenseless players, saying they have no place in the game.
Collie was turning with the ball when he was hit and dropped it. He fell to the ground and never appeared to move as he was worked on.
The Colts have been plagued by injuries to their offense and already were without tight end Dallas Clark and his backup, Brody Eldridge, and second-string wideout Anthony Gonzalez.
Collie had one catch for minus-1 yard Sunday. He entered the game with 44 receptions for 502 yards and six touchdowns.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.