Tracy Walker says he’s ‘doing fine,’ expects to play next week

Early in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker had a violent collision with quarterback Mason Rudolph. Both players lowered their head, and Walker immediately laid on his back, nearly motionless after the physical play.

Walker spent a while on the field before he eventually walked off and went to the locker room to be further evaluated for a concussion. Later, the Lions would declare him out for the rest of the game, suggesting that Walker suffered a concussion or was at least experiencing symptoms that are consistent with a concussion diagnosis.

Thankfully, it appears Walker’s injury may not be considered a long-term one. The Lions safety posted an Instagram story online Sunday night with a hopeful message about his injury.

“To all my fans and supporters who worried I’m doing fine.. I appreciate all the love and concern and 21 will be ready next week!!”

Obviously, brain injuries are tough to diagnose and can range from short-term to long-term. Oftentimes, concussion symptoms aren’t experienced until well after the collision, sometimes even days later. So while Walker’s optimism certainly seems like a very good development, we should wait for a full week of observations from medical professionals before jumping to conclusions as to whether Walker will play in next week’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

For now, it’s just good to hear that Walker is not going through any serious, debilitating symptoms after a scary-looking hit. Here’s to hoping it stays that way for the rest of the season.