GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The symptoms that kept Ty Montgomery out of the Green Bay Packers' loss at Atlanta on Sunday are related to sickle cell trait -- a condition the receiver said he was diagnosed with previously.
However, he said last week was the first time he experienced any issues.
Sources told ESPN on Sunday that Montgomery had blood in his urine and the Packers kept him out for precautionary reasons.
Montgomery said he and his doctors believe this was related to sickle cell trait, not a hit he sustained during a game, and don't think it's career-threatening. In fact, Montgomery hasn't ruled out playing Sunday against the Colts at Lambeau Field.
"It doesn't concern me," Montgomery said Monday. "A lot of people have sickle cell trait and some of them don't even know, and not everybody experiences symptoms of it. I'm not concerned about anything."
Sickle cell trait is the result of one inherited sickle cell gene and one normal gene, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with the sickle cell trait usually don't exhibit symptoms of sickle cell disease. In rare cases, however, "people with SCT might experience complications of SCD, such as pain crises," according to the CDC's website, which also noted that "those with sickle cell trait are more likely to experience muscle breakdown when doing intense exercise than those who don't have the trait."
Montgomery is at least the second NFL player to reveal recently that he has sickle cell trait . Arizona Cardinals receiver John Brown said he discovered he has it after a series of hamstring injuries.
Montgomery, a second-year pro who has played both running back and his natural receiver position this season, was coming off consecutive games with double-digit receptions and also rushed nine times for 60 yards in a Week 7 victory over the Bears. He would not say whether he was cleared to return to practice this week.
"We're just going to take it day by day," Montgomery said. "So far, all signs lead to we feel confident to just take it day by day and play this week. So we'll see."
Montgomery's agent, Damarius Bilbo, released a statement on his client:
"My client Ty Montgomery has known he was a carrier for the sickle cell trait since he played at Stanford University. Prior to a couple of weeks ago, his health or performance had not been impacted by this hereditary blood disorder, directly or indirectly, but he did experience a complication after the Green Bay Packers' Thursday night matchup against the Chicago Bears.
"After that matchup, Ty discovered the presence of blood in his urine. The doctors informed me that this symptom could be connected to his kidney being impacted. While already traveling to Dallas, Texas to visit family, he went to a local hospital to be evaluated. Ty spent 16 hours under observation between late Friday night and Saturday. Although not proven, there could be a link between his physical activity in the contest against the Bears, the impact on his kidney, and his disorder.
"The decision to rest him in the game against the Atlanta Falcons was a precautionary measure."