Browns WR KC Concepcion clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Ravens

Why KC Concepcion is trending

People are searching his name because the Browns rookie wide receiver is back. Concepcion cleared the concussion protocol and is set to play Sunday when Cleveland hosts Baltimore. He took an illegal hit during the Week 5 loss to the Jets and had been out since.

What we know: he returned to practice Wednesday and has been cleared to go. What is not spelled out in the team's report is exactly which practice session marked the moment he was cleared, or how the coaching staff plans to manage his reps in his first game back. What happens next is straightforward, he suits up Sunday against the Ravens.

Why he matters to this offense

Concepcion leads the Browns with 29 targets, which tells you where the ball has been going. A rookie carrying that kind of workload getting knocked out by an illegal hit is the kind of thing that reshapes a passing game for a few weeks, even if only for one game missed.

His return doesn't erase the stretch Cleveland played without him, but it puts the top target back on the field for a divisional-ish matchup against Baltimore. Bar stool math says a team gets its best weapon back, that's worth paying attention to, nothing more dramatic than that.

The rest of the injury picture

Concepcion isn't the only name on the Browns' injury report this week. Defensive tackles Derek Barnett and Mason Graham are questionable, along with running back Quinshon Judkins and linebacker Carson Schwesinger. All four sat out Wednesday and Thursday before returning to practice Friday.

Cleveland also ruled out a handful of players for Sunday: defensive tackles Kalia Davis and Mike Hall Jr., quarterback Dillon Gabriel, right guard Teven Jenkins, and running back Dylan Sampson. That's a lot of names on one injury report, and it means the Browns will be piecing together parts of their roster against the Ravens even with their top receiver back.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.