Bengals S George Iloka off concussion protocols

Cincinnati Bengals safety George Iloka laid on the field momentarily in what could have been a scary moment after the second-year safety sustained a head injury against the Indianapolis Colts. He was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game and safety Chris Crocker replaced him.

After the game Sunday and on Monday, he was reportedly undergoing concussion protocols but there was no time frame for his eventual return.

That moment is today.

According to Coley Harvey with ESPN, George Iloka has been removed from the concussion protocols, eligible to practice on Wednesday as the team prepares for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

George Iloka is off concussion protocol. Adam Jones was right the other day when he said Iloka was "OK." He'll play Sunday. #Bengals

— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) December 11, 2013

If he's able to go, Cincinnati would have one less decision to make after Terence Newman suffered an MCL sprain in the same game. Crocker would most likely return to his role as a slot defender, rather than replacing Iloka at safety whereas Iloka's absence would have required another defender (like Brandon Ghee) to play the slot.