Bucs TE Brate allowed to re-enter game after concussion

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate sat out the second half of Sunday night’s 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a concussion after earlier colliding with a teammate and being allowed to re-enter the game.

Brate was shaken up just before halftime after catching a pass for a 9-yard gain and colliding with Bucs receiver Chris Godwin while being tackled.

Brate stood up and headed for the sideline, but didn’t get off the field fast enough for Tampa Bay to avoid a penalty for having too many men on the field when Tom Brady took the snap for the next play with 1:15 left before halftime.

Brate re-entered the game and was the intended receiver on two incompletions Brady threw while finishing a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard pass to Mike Evans.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles said after the game that Brate was in the concussion protocol. He was not able to explain why he was allowed to re-enter the game in the final minute of the first half.

“I didn’t exactly see what happened when he came back in the game,” Bowles said. “I have to look at the film.”

The decision to allow Brate to re-enter the game comes on the heels of Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa being cleared to continue playing after hitting his head on the turf against Buffalo on Sept. 25.

The Dolphins said Tagovaliloa injured his back against the Bills. But four days later, he took a another hard hit and suffered a concussion at Cincinnati. The doctor who cleared him to return to the game against Buffalo has been fired.

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