Browns wideout KC Concepcion Jr. was ruled out with a head injury Sunday after absorbing a crushing hit from Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first quarter.
With Cleveland driving in Jets territory, Deshaun Watson tried to connect with Concepcion on first down, but Fitzpatrick crushed the rookie from behind — prompting multiple referees to throw flags.
Concepcion remained down on the MetLife Stadium turf as trainers checked on him and eventually rolled him over in a frightening scene.
He walked off the field under his own power, but he went straight to the locker room before getting ruled out for the rest of the game minutes later.
It marked the second snap on the Browns’ second drive of the game where Fitzpatrick, the veteran safety the Jets acquired in the offseason, was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Earlier, after Watson and Concepcion connected, Fitzpatrick ripped off Concepcion’s helmet in a play that resulted in a facemask penalty.
The Jets held the Browns to a field goal despite the pair of costly penalties, though, as Andre Szmyt hit a 25-yard kick to make it 7-3 Jets late in the first quarter.
Concepcion, who was a first-round pick in April’s draft, had caught 17 passes for 144 yards entering Sunday’s game.
