Minkah Fitzpatrick’s first-quarter hit on KC Concepcion drew a flag and ended the Cleveland Browns rookie’s afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
Fitzpatrick now awaits the NFL’s review of the play, while Cleveland awaits word on how long its first-round receiver is sidelined.
The New York Jets safety had already been flagged for a facemask on Concepcion earlier in the possession. His second personal foul of the drive came as Concepcion tried to catch a pass, and the receiver stayed down before leaving the field under his own power. The penalty moved the Browns to the Jets’ 12-yard line, and Andre Szmyt kicked a field goal that cut New York’s lead to 7-3 with 3:27 left in the first quarter, according to ProFootballTalk reporter Josh Alper.
Fitzpatrick’s Likely Punishment Coming
A hit on a defenseless player is one of five categories the NFL and the NFL Players Association designated for enhanced discipline this season, according to a Reuters report. The others are hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching and blindside blocks. Three violations in any one category trigger an automatic one-game suspension, and players can appeal fines.
Fines for the same foul in Week 4 ranged from $5,583 for Cowboys cornerback Reddy Steward to $13,639 for Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter, with Rams linebacker Nate Landman docked $11,111, according to ProFootballTalk. The league typically announces fines the Saturday after a game, so Fitzpatrick will have to wait to find out how much the brutal hit on Concepcion will cost him.
Fitzpatrick has been fined once already this season, $17,911 for a hip-drop tackle in Week 4. That penalty falls in a different category, so a fine for the Concepcion hit would be his first for a defenseless-player foul in 2026.
Fitzpatrick is in his ninth NFL season, a Jets defensive captain and an Old Bridge, New Jersey, native who starred at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, according to Jets.com contributor Jack Bell. “I love just making a big hit or an interception,” Fitzpatrick said in that story.
In 2023, a low tackle by Fitzpatrick, then with the Pittsburgh Steelers, caused a season-ending knee injury to Browns running back Nick Chubb. Fitzpatrick called the play unfortunate but not dirty and said he went low to avoid being run over, according to The Associated Press.
Cleveland Browns Rookie KC Concepcion’s Injury Status
The Browns ruled Concepcion out for the rest of Sunday’s game with a head injury, and no timeline for his return has been announced, according to Pro Football Talk.
Kevin “KC” Concepcion Jr., 22, was born in Rochester, New York, and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He won ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year at NC State before transferring to Texas A&M, where he earned the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player and consensus All-American honors in 2025.
The Browns selected him 24th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft with a pick acquired in the Travis Hunter trade. He had 17 receptions for 144 yards through Week 4 and also handles punt returns.
Why Is Browns’ KC Concepcion Out vs. Jets? What Did Minkah Fitzpatrick Do?