NASHVILLE, TN - Nashville SC captain Walker Zimmerman is working through concussion protocol, head coach BJ Callaghan confirmed on Thursday.
The defender suffered a frightening injury in the 72nd minute of last weekend's 2-1 loss against Charlotte FC. Zimmerman headed a cross out of Nashville's penalty area, but caught the full force of Charlotte winger Kerwin Vargas's bicycle kick attempt to the face. The contact was completely unintentional, but left Zimmerman down on the floor for nearly eight minutes while the medical staff tended to him. He was eventually stretchered off in a neck brace and taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
Zimmerman was discharged from the hospital later on Saturday, and an unforeseen delay to Nashville's flight home allowed him to travel back with the rest of the team.
"He was able to fly home with the team, which was great to get him back with the group," Callaghan told media at Nashville's Vanderbilt Health Training Center. "He's basically currently progressing himself through concussion protocol, all the steps he's sort of progressing through. It's a day-by-day sequence that we're following. I think we'll make that evaluation when we have to on Friday when we announce the group. But that's because we're just trying to do it through the protocol and do it step-by-step, as safely as possible."
Charlotte FC Dean Smith said he texted Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman Sunday morning after his collision w/Vargas in the game last week. “He had a sore head and a busted lip. We’re thankful it was only that. And I think he had a concussion. Hopefully he’s (all) right now.”
— Carroll R. Walton (@CarrollRogers) April 10, 2025
An emotional impact
Nashville noticeably struggled without Zimmerman. While Charlotte had been pushing for a goal, the Coyotes had held them off for the whole of the second half. It was only after Zimmerman left that Nashville conceded, allowing two goals in the final five minutes to turn what looked like a valuable road win into a loss.
Callaghan acknowledged that the emotional impact of his injury took a significant toll on the team.
"We are players, we are coaches, but we're also humans," he said. "We have relationships with players, and these guys are friends with each other. So there's always going to be a reaction. We have to be open to that."
"It's not something that is a normal occurrence," he continued. "But at the same time, I think we're also professionals that we try to respond to it... But when that moment happens, yeah, there is a reset. You can't act like it didn't happen, and none of us are. We don't pretend to be superhuman. We are humans. We have feelings. We have emotions. And we just have to sort of be able to process that and then try to move forward."
Next man up
Until his injury, Zimmerman had started and played every minute for Nashville so far in 2025. The two-time MLS Defender of the Year is a crucial piece of Nashville's defense, which has made significant improvements this season.
30-year-old Jeisson Palacios replaced Zimmerman on Saturday to make his MLS debut after joining Nashville this winter. With over 250 appearances in the Colombian top flight, the veteran could be in line for a start on Saturday if Zimmerman is unable to play.
MLS debut for Jeisson Palacios ☑️🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/ez0dqNmjJ9
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) April 7, 2025
Josh Bauer, a natural center back despite starting two matches at right back this season, is another option in defense.
"We have a next next man up mentality here. Everybody trains and we're part of a bigger system," said Callaghan. "For us, it's just about getting the next man up, getting the connections and the cohesiveness to be the same."
While Nashville have options to fill Zimmerman's position on the pitch, there's no like-for-like replacement for the tremendous leadership role he plays. That's something Callaghan says Nashville will have to replace in the aggregate.
"Walker brings great leadership to the group. So people are going to have to take on that responsibility. It doesn't mean one person does, we just have to take and share it amongst the amongst that 20 that get named for the match and continue to push forward."
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity
