Darren Sproles career in jeopardy after ACL & arm injury
Darren Sproles Hall of Fame career has come to an abrupt halt
What was believed to only be a broken arm is now a season-ending, if not career-ending, injury for Eagles special teams star Darren Sproles.
The 5’6″ 34-year-old running back left the Eagles 27-24 victory and was listed as questionable with a wrist injury. A freak collision with second-year safety Darian Thompson resulted in Thompson’s foot clipping Sproles’ wrist, sending him to the ground in pain.
Originally declared out for a couple of weeks with a broken arm, reports now state that Sproles suffered a torn ACL on the play. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Sproles will have surgery on the arm before undergoing the knee procedure.
#DarrenSproles @Eagles
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 25, 2017
Kicked in forearm & broken.
Bad news: surgery.
But read the good news here:https://t.co/GAoEldQCrh pic.twitter.com/aihHC1xUbu
Sproles had declared this season to be his final after taking a devastating hit last year on a punt return, resulting in a concussion. Despite his compact size, the 12-year veteran has never missed more than three games in a season.
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In what could be his final year, he plays in just three games, recording zero touchdowns.
Sproles’ dynamic capabilities on special teams place him among the best in NFL history among return specialists. With 19,155 all-purpose yards, Sproles ranks seventh in NFL history, surpassing his former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson.
Had Sproles remained healthy in 2017 he’d have an opportunity to eclipse the likes of Steve Smith, Marshall Faulk, and Tim Brown for fifth all-time. His seven punt return touchdowns are fifth in league history, more than Deion Sanders.
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Should Sproles reach Canton, he’d be the shortest inductee in the Hall of Fame’s history.