ALAMEDA -- Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said he doesn't remember the hit that knocked him out of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion and neck strain. Heyward-Bey had to be carted off the field after about 10 minutes and hospitalized following the fourth-quarter hit by Steelers safety Ryan Mundy.
"I don't remember any of it," said Heyward-Bey, who added that his first memory is "Riding off on the cart."
Heyward-Bey was the intended receiver on a Carson Palmer pass when Mundy, coming in to break up the play, caught Heyward-Bey hard across the facemask with the top of his helmet. The replacement refereeing crew did not throw a flag on the play, but the league reportedly hit Mundy with a $21,000 fine for the hit.
"(Mundy) texted me and I told him, 'Hey, it's football,'" Heyward-Bey said.
"That's just football. I signed up to put on the pads and go out there. That's what happens out there. People get hit, people get hurt. It happens."
Heyward-Bey watched practice on the field today and is officially listed as doubtful on the Raiders' injury report, but he said he hasn't started running yet and just recently started the process of getting cleared under league concussion protocol.
"So far I've been able to walk, talk and eat," Heyward-Bey said.
"I haven't talked to anybody about Sunday or anything like that. I'm just focused on getting better."
He added, though, that he is eager to return to the field.
"I want to play football," Heyward-Bey said. "This is what I do for a living, so definitely very eager to get back."
* Here's the full injury report for Sunday against the Denver Broncos:
Out: T Khalif Barnes (groin), CB Shawntae Spencer (foot)
Doubtful: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (concussion, neck)
Questionable: TE Brandon Myers (concussion), RB Mike Goodson (hamstring), TE Richard Gordon (hamstring), WR Rod Streater (neck/eye)
Probable: C/G Alex Parsons (shoulder), RB Darren McFadden (shoulder), TE David Ausberry (shoulder), K Sebastian Janikowski (left groin), NT Tommy Kelly (knee), DT Richard Seymour (knee), DB Michael Huff (knee)
Head coach Dennis Allen said that Myers has been cleared for contact under the concussion protocol and is "in good shape" to play.
Streater tweaked his neck during practice today. "We'll see where he's at tomorrow," Allen said.
Allen wouldn't tip his hand on whether defensive end Andre Carter, signed Wednesday, will play against the Broncos.
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