Darrius Heyward-Bey Injury: Updates on Raiders WR's Head Injury

Darrius Heyward-Bey left Week 3 after suffering a brutal and horrific hit at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

UPDATE: Tuesday, September 25 at 11:07 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

The Raiders are still unsure when Darrius Heyward-Bey will return to the field, according to head coach Dennis Allen per San Francisco Gate's Vic Tafur.

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"Allen said he will make a complete recovery, but there is no timetable as to when he might return to the field."

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---END OF UPDATE---

UPDATE: Monday, September 24 at 2:16 p.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Heyward-Bey is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Oakland Raiders:

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Darrius Heyward-Bey was released this morning from Eden Medical Center after spending the night under observation...

— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) September 24, 2012"

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...He is resting at home with a concussion and neck strain, and expected to make a full recovery.

— OAKLAND RAIDERS (@RAIDERS) September 24, 2012"

---END OF UPDATE---

UPDATE: Sunday, September 23 at 11:12 p.m. ET by Pete Schauer

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter (via WhoSay), Darius Heyward-Bey is in stable condition after suffering a neck injury on Sunday. Doctors don't believe Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion but he'll undergo further tests on his neck on Monday to determine the full extent of the damaged caused by collision late in Sunday's contest vs. Pittsburgh.

—End of Update—

UPDATE: Sunday, September 23 at 10:10 p.m. ET by Bennett Spector

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Raiders announce that Darrius Heyward-Bey is in stable condition and will remain in the hospital overnight.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) September 24, 2012"

UPDATE: Sunday, September 23 at 9:32 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

One of Sunday's scariest situations was given a shot of positive energy by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Vic Tafur following the game:

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Carson Palmer said the word out of the hospital is that Darrius Heyward-Bey is doing well

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) September 24, 2012"

That's exactly what everyone wanted to hear from the Raiders quarterback. Heyward-Bey took a heavy shot from Ryan Mundy, but hopefully he recover quickly.

---End of Update---

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft ran across the back of the end zone and was the victim of a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit by Mundy.

Fox Sports' officiating specialist Mike Pereira tweeted his take on the collision:

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The hit in the Raiders game should have been a foul. Helmet to helmet hit.

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 23, 2012"

CBSsports.com's Raiders-affiliated Twitter account painted a somber picture of the scene unfolding at O.co Coliseum:

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Trainers and doctors are securing injured WR Darrius Heyward-Bey to a stretcher before putting him on a cart.

— Raiders RapidReports (@CBSRaiders) September 23, 2012"

The mood in Oakland lightened up quite a bit when Heyward-Bey gave the crowd a thumbs-up prior to being carted off the field into the locker room.

Visit Bleacher Report's official Twitter account for a reassuring picture of Heyward-Bey.

Heyward-Bey looked to be unconscious when he hit the ground and obviously won't be returning (via Rotoworld.com).

Prior to the injury, Heyward-Bey caught two balls for 14 yards and a touchdown.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, repercussions Mundy faces for the hit. As always, look to Bleacher Report for the latest NFL news.