Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Paxton Lynch suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit from Minnesota Vikings cornerback Holton Hill on a run-pass option play Sunday night, sending the former first-round pick into concussion protocol.
The hit occurred with about four minutes left in regulation. After tucking and running with the ball, Lynch slid down to give himself up but Hill appeared to duck his head and lean into Lynch’s helmet. He received an unnecessary roughness penalty and an ejection for the contact.
“He went through the protocol, and he’s still in there now,” coach Pete Carroll said in his post-game press conference. “He felt like he was OK, but he’s still got to pass those tests, so we’ll recognize all the process and take care of that.”
Before the injury, Lynch completed six of 15 passes for 67 yards. Fellow backup quarterback J.T. Barrett took his place and played the rest of the game for Seattle, throwing an interception on the final play to seal the 25-19 victory for Minnesota.
We will know more about Lynch’s status after his examination is complete.
