Eddie Lacy’s Concussion: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Eddie Lacy

(Getty)

The Green Bay Packers got shellacked Thursday night by the Seattle Seahawks in Thursday night’s season opener, but the bad news for Green Bay didn’t stop there.

Coach Mike McCarthy announced after the game that star running back Eddie Lacy — last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year — suffered a concussion that forced him to leave the game.

Here’s what you need to know about the diagnosis:


1. Lacy Left the Game in the 4th Quarter

Eddie Lacy

(Getty)

Lacy left the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a head injury. He later underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with a concussion, according to McCarthy.

NBC’s Michele Tafoya reported on the concussion during the network’s broadcast, and McCarthy confirmed the diagnosis after the game.

Lacy missed a game last year after suffering a concussion in Week 2 last season against the Washington Redskins.


2. The Seahawks’ Defense Had Held Lacy in Check All Night

Eddie Lacy

(Getty)

Even before Lacy suffered the concussion, the Seahawks did their best to keep the former Alabama star in check. Lacy rushed for 21 yards on the Packers’ first possession — including 15 on one play that resulted in a first down — but had only 13 rushing yards the rest of the game to finish with 34.


3. The Packers Host the Jets in 10 Days

Jets, Rex Ryan

Jets coach Rex Ryan. (Getty)

Lacy will need to pass league-mandated concussion tests during the week in order to play in the Packers’ next game. Lacy and Green Bay may benefit from having an extra couple days off between games. Since the Pack played on a Thursday to open the season, the team’s next game isn’t for another 10 days, when the Packers are scheduled to host the Jets at Lambeau Field.


4. James Starks Is Behind Lacy on the Packers’ Depth Chart

James Starks

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If Lacy is limited or unable to play against the Jets, the bulk of the carries would go to fifth-year player James Starks, whom the Packers drafted in the sixth round in 2010 out of Buffalo.

Starks, who had 52 rushing yards as a rookie in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers, had 7 carries for a team-high 37 yards Thursday night.


5. Lacy Wasn’t the Only Packer to Leave the Game With an Injury

Bryan Bulaga

(Getty)

Lacy’s concussion was hardly the only dose of bad news on the injury front for Green Bay. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga, who missed the entire 2013 season with a left knee injury, re-injured the knee and had to come out of the game.

Bulaga was replaced by Derek Sherrod, who was beat repeatedly and ended up being tackled in the endzone for a safety after an Aaron Rodgers fumble on a sack in the third quarter.

Bulaga’s status for the Jets game is unclear.