Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate underwent testing and X-rays on his neck showed no fractures, coach Todd Bowles confirmed Monday.
“He has a sprained neck,” Bowles said. “He has all his extremities moving well and he’s resting. That’s been the extent of it. Everything else came out negative.”
Brate, 31, was released from a Pittsburgh hospital late Sunday night following a scary helmet-to-helmet collision.
He was carted off the field during the third quarter of the Buccaneers’ 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brate was unable to get up after taking a hit from Steelers linebacker Myles Jack after a 6-yard reception.
Bowles said Brate did not suffer any neurological effects and that the test results “turned out great for him” considering the nature of the injury.
“Tough sport. We all love him to death. We all hope he’s OK,” quarterback Tom Brady said after the game.
Brate flew back to Tampa on the team plane.
“It was good to see him. It was good for the guys to see him,” Bowles said. “It relieved a lot of people’s minds.”
Brate was playing in his first game since suffering a concussion in a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
He had two catches for 14 yards against Pittsburgh and has 13 receptions for 114 yards through five games.
Brate has spent his entire nine-year career with Tampa Bay, catching 266 passes for 2,797 yards and 33 scores in 120 games.
–Field Level Media