Ryan Grant, No. 25, during pre-game warmups - Photo P Cutler
As the NFL embarks on the first week of the season, many impact injuries have taken place. Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant, Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders and Hunter Hillenmeyer linebacker for the Chicago Bears all faced devastating injuries that have placed them on each team’s injured reserve list.
During this past Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Ryan Grant left the game with a torn ligament in his right ankle. The injury will most likely require surgery, and has left Grant “frustrated, and disappointed”, he tweeted. On Tuesday more test were scheduled, but the results forced the team to place Grant on the injured reserved for the remainder of their season. Brandon Jackson, Grant’s replacement said, “Let’s continue what we did before and everything is going to work out”. General manger stated, “When you lose a running back like Ryan, it’s a very big loss; but we have to move forward as a team”.
Indianapolis lost star safety Bob Sanders on Sunday due to an elbow injury. Sanders, landed awkwardly in the first half of the game during a loss endured to the Houston Texans. Bob Sanders was named Defensive Player of the Year for 2007. Plagued by injuries he has missed 14 games last season and 10 games the year before. It has been very difficult for Sanders to regain the stature he held in 2007. The Colts have not said much about the elbow injury, or the severity of the injury.
Hunter Hillenmeyer, the 6’4 238lb linebacker for the Chicago Bears has also been placed on the team’s injured reserve list due to a concussion in a preseason loss on August 28. Mixed emotions can be best described as how Hillenmeyer feels about being placed on injured reserve. Jerry Angelo, general manager for the Bears released a statement stating, “Player health and safety has and always will be a priority with our organization”. Respecting the decision of Jerry Angelo and Coach Lovie Smith, Hillenmeyer feels that this is in his best interest but it has been hard to accept that his season has ended from one game.