Has quarterback Tanner Lee taken his last snap for Nebraska?

After suffering a concussion last Saturday, there’s a chance quarterback Tanner Lee has played his last down for Nebraska.

Coming out of halftime of last Saturday’s 54-21 loss to Minnesota, Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee gave way to redshirt freshman Patrick O’Brien. It looked like a concession on the part of head coach Mike Riley, with the score 30-14, but details slowly trickled out that Lee was not feeling well at halftime.

It was eventually reported Lee was suffering from an “impact migraine,” which is essentially a step short of a concussion. During his Monday press conference, Riley confirmed that Lee is in concussion protocol, and the team will start the week of practice as if O’Brien will start Saturday against Penn State.

But Riley was not ready to rule Lee out either.

Lee went 13-for-18 for 174 yards and a touchdown in the first half on Saturday, and Riley said he was injured when a Minnesota defender fell on his head. O’Brien went 12-for-18 for 137 yards in his half of action, as two signal callers were sacked a total of six times.

Immediate removal of a player with a concussion is always tricky. So naturally, the Nebraska football corner of Twitter speculated on the actual cause of Lee’s absence immediately, since he had been playing well. A head injury lent legitimacy to why Lee did not play.

Riley is clearly on his way out as Nebraska’s head coach, and Lee presumably transferred from Tulane to play for him. Lee could declare for the NFL Draft after the season. The hiring of a new coach, who he didn’t come to Lincoln to play for, may seal that decision even though Lee is not a top draft prospect.

The Cornhuskers are now 4-6, with what will be upset wins over Penn State and Iowa necessary to earn bowl eligibility.

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Concussions are not something to question the validity of at all. And Lee has no real reason to risk his health over the final two regular-season games (plus the second half against Minnesota). Meaning, it’s possible he has taken his last snap for Nebraska.