KC Concepcion has defended Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was criticized for a controversial 'dirty hit', despite the Cleveland Browns star suffering a concussion during the incident.

After winning three consecutive games, the Browns suffered a setback on Sunday, losing 17-12 to the New York Jets in East Rutherford. During the first quarter, Browns rookie Concepcion caught a pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson with his back to Jets defensive back Fitzpatrick. As Concepcion turned following the catch, Fitzpatrick made immediate contact, striking the rookie's helmet with his own. The collision sent Concepcion's head crashing into the turf at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick was penalized for hitting a defenseless receiver, while Concepcion remained on the ground for several minutes before being helped to his feet by Cleveland's medical staff. The rookie was taken to the locker room, where he was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Fitzpatrick has received support in the wake of the controversial hit and continues to stand by his actions, insisting he never intended to injure Concepcion. Speaking to reporters after the game, the Jets safety shared his perspective on the incident and expressed relief that the Browns rookie had recovered sufficiently to return to practice.

"It was a football play, in my opinion. Obviously you don't want to see anybody get hurt. I'm happy to see he's back and practicing this week. Bang bang play, as their coach put it," Fitzpatrick said.

Concepcion shared a similar view, telling reporters he did not consider the collision to be a dirty play. "To me, it wasn't a dirty hit. It was just a football play" said the 22-year-old.

Cleveland head coach Todd Monken also defended Fitzpatrick after the game, describing the collision as an unfortunate bang-bang play rather than a deliberate attempt to cause injury.

“It's just a bang-bang play,” Monken said. “I mean, Minkah has been in this league a long time. He’s not a dirty player. I've never seen that out of him. I mean, it's a bang-bang play, and unfortunately, it happened to our guy. That's part of the league.”

Watson also played down the incident, insisting he did not view Fitzpatrick's hit as dirty, despite struggling to connect with Concepcion and seeing replacement Isaiah Bond drop several key passes.

“I was from the opposite end, so I couldn’t really tell,” Watson said. “I’ve seen the footage and stuff like that. I know Minkah was just making a play and trying to make a play. But yeah, I guess it’s football. I’m just glad that KC is healthy and he’s doing a lot better for sure.”

The NFL has since fined Fitzpatrick for the hit, but the Jets safety intends to appeal the punishment.

Concepcion has made a full recovery from his concussion, returning to full practice on Friday. The Browns rookie has since been removed from the injury report and is expected to be available for Cleveland's Week 6 clash with the Baltimore Ravens.