jpzx
Supporter
- 57,997
- 27,555
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2008
Vikings OL Phil Loadholt has torn Achilles, will miss season
Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff Writer
MINNEAPOLIS -- A MRI on Sunday confirmed the Minnesota Vikings' initial fears about right tackle Phil Loadholt: He has a torn Achilles tendon.
Loadholt, who limped off the field after two plays of the Vikings' 26-16 preseason win over Tampa Bay on Saturday night, will need season-ending surgery on his left heel, according to a league source.
If it wasn't clear before Saturday night that the Vikings are facing a time of transition on their offensive line, it became clearer after Phil Loadholt's injury, Ben Goessling writes.
The Vikings believed Loadholt had a torn Achilles tendon on Saturday night but were holding out hope a MRI would show the injury wasn't as severe as they thought.
Instead, they'll prepare to start a different right tackle while the 29-year-old Loadholt tries to recover from his second major injury in less than 12 months. He missed the Vikings' final five games of 2014 with a torn pectoral muscle and had worked to return from that injury in time for training camp.
"He worked his tail off getting back here to be a hundred percent but that's the game of football," guard Brandon Fusco said on Saturday night. "Stuff happens, freak accidents, and it's unfortunate. He's a hard-working guy and he cares so much about the game of football, and he's a big time locker room guy. It's a big loss."
The Vikings put fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings in after Loadholt's injury on Saturday night, and it seems likely they'll give the Pittsburgh product the first chance to replace Loadholt.
Many projected Clemmings would be a first-round pick until concerns about a foot injury caused him to drop in the draft.
Coach Mike Zimmer sounded pleased on Saturday night with how Clemmings held up in Loadholt's place.
"I think T.J. Clemmings did a good job, so we will see," Zimmer said. "We draft these guys to get them in here and play."
Link
Last edited: