Saivion Smith was the center of a scary scene at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
The Detroit Lions defensive back went down to the turf on his team’s second defensive play of the game against the New England Patriots. Smith was defending Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, who caught a pass from Bailey Zappe for 23 yards.
The play was stopped for nearly 10 minutes as the medical staff placed Smith on a backboard and he was taken off the field in an ambulance.
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The team announced that Smith was taken to a local hospital and later flew back to Detroit with the team, where he was placed into concussion protocol.
While the 24-year-old cornerback suffered the concussion, further tests revealed no issues with his neck.
Sunday marked Smith’s first NFL start after he was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. He made his NFL debut in 2020 with the Dallas Cowboys and played for the Lions and San Francisco 49ers in 2021. He will now have extra time to clear concussion protocols with the Lions' upcoming bye week in Week 6.