BEREA — Safety Brodney Pool will have a serious decision to make when the cobwebs clear.

Pool suffered at least his fourth concussion in his five-year career Sunday in a 16-7 loss to the Bengals. The latest medical studies show the long-term dangers of concussions, including a correlation between the number of concussions and the onset of dementia, depression and permanent brain damage. Returning to the field too soon is believed to increase the risks.

Pool could decide to shut it down for the final five weeks, but he’s in the last year of his rookie contract and may not want to finish the season on injured reserve.

“With concussions, we take that very seriously, spent a lot of time in New York researching the safest way to bring a player back,” coach Eric Mangini said Monday. “We’ll go through that process and see where he is throughout the course of the week and evaluate it as we go.”

Pool, who leads the team with four interceptions, walked into the locker room after one series in the third quarter and didn’t return. His latest concussion comes as the landscape of the NFL changes regarding the way teams deal with the injury to the brain.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday that commissioner Roger Goodell would like to broaden the guidelines involving players who suffer head injuries during a game. Under the new rules, any player who shows signs of a concussion — memory loss or wooziness — would be subject to removal, in addition to the standing rule that players who lose consciousness are barred from returning.

A Congressional study earlier in the year put the focus on the NFL’s handling of concussions. The league now requires teams to use an independent neurologist to determine when a concussed player can return.

Mangini said he’s always been aggressive in dealing with concussions.

“You do everything you can to make sure that you’re not putting the player at any greater risk and that you have the best information available when you’re making those decisions,” he said.

Would he tell a player with a long history of concussions, such as Pool, to consider retirement?

“I want all the guys to be safe and to be smart,” Mangini said. “But in terms of specific advice in terms of specific injuries, I think each guy has to spend time with the doctors and make that decision themselves.”

Defensive back Mike Adams, who said Pool wasn’t in meetings Monday, is concerned about his friend.

“He’s a great player and an even better person,” Adams said. “It worries me. Hopefully he makes the right decision.”

Adams could be switched from cornerback to take Pool’s spot, or veteran Hank Poteat could get the call. He filled in Sunday.

Blackout looming

The Browns haven’t had a home game blacked out from local television since they returned in 1999, but that streak is expected to end Sunday against the Chargers.

A Browns spokesman said Monday night that several thousand tickets remained. The deadline to sell the remaining tickets is Thursday afternoon at 4.

Tickets are also available for the final two games against Oakland and Jacksonville.

Weis move

Mangini said he hasn’t considered adding Charlie Weis to his staff. Weis was fired as coach of Notre Dame on Monday, and they were assistants on the same coaching staffs with the Jets and the Patriots.

“I’ve always liked Charlie, been friendly and talked since he’s been at Notre Dame,” Mangini said. “He’s a really good football coach, I respect him a lot.”

Quarterback Brady Quinn played under Weis at Notre Dame for two years and said last week it would be a mistake if he were fired. Quinn wasn’t available for comment.

With Quinn 0-6 as a starter this year and struggling to a 66.6 rating, Weis would seem like a good fit to return to the NFL as an offensive coordinator and try to straighten out Quinn.

“I really haven’t thought about any of that,” said Mangini, who’s been steadfast in his support of first-year coordinator Brian Daboll.

SI.com’s Peter King wrote Weis and Mangini “are not pals.”

What’s up with Robiskie?

Mangini tried to explain why recently signed Jake Allen, who was undrafted in 2008 and doesn’t have an NFL catch, was active ahead of No. 36 pick Brian Robiskie at receiver. Robiskie, a rookie out of Ohio State, was inactive for the second straight week and has one catch for the year.

“I thought that Jake has had two really good weeks since he got here,” Mangini said. “Sometimes it’s a function of that. Neither one of the guys was going to play extensively on special teams, and I thought that Jake earned the opportunity.

“Brian’s played in a lot of games. He’s had a lot of play time. He could be active again this week, but he’s going to have to go out and earn that play time.”

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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