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UPDATE: NBCSP is reporting that Rodney McLeod is out for the season with a torn MCL. Welp. Original story below.
Heading into Doug Pederson’s Wednesday press conference, there was an expectation the Eagles head coach would provide an update on starting safety Rodney McLeod. It had been several days after McLeod first injured his knee in the Eagles’ Week 3 game against the Colts, after all.
But that update didn’t come. Instead, Pederson only had the following to say.
Q. Is there an update S Rodney McLeod?
DOUG PEDERSON: At this time, quite honestly, we’re waiting on one more test result to come back, and I should have something later in the week, actually. I keep pushing it down the road, but that’s the truth again.
Q. Do you think McLeod has a chance to play against the Titans this week?
DOUG PEDERSON: We’ll find out once we get this last and latest report coming in.
Q. Do you have a roster move if McLeod can’t go?
DOUG PEDERSON: That’s always an option, availability. If Rodney can’t go, that’s always an option.
Pederson’s next presser will take place on Friday morning. So hopefully we’ll hear more then.
In the meantime, Les Bowen of the Daily News offered an educated (?) guess as to why it’s been taking so long to hear an update on McLeod’s status.
A guess on the Rodney McLeod mystery: fluid can make it hard to tell the difference between a bone bruise and a fracture in a knee. So u need to do MRI or CT scan later to know if there is a fracture line.
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) September 26, 2018
Difference would be 2-3 weeks for bone bruise vs. 4-6 weeks for fracture.
Hopefully it’s merely a bone bruise and not a fracture for McLeod. It’s hard to be overly optimistic, though, after seeing DGunn say something like this.
We will hear from Doug Pederson in a few moments and the news might not be good about Rodney Mcleod knee injury
— Derrick Gunn (@RealDGunnNBCS) September 26, 2018
While we wait to hear more on McLeod, we do know that it’s not likely he plays this week. He did not participate during Wednesday’s practice.
Losing McLeod for a period of time wouldn’t be ideal for the Eagles. He’s been off to a good start this year and now Philadelphia is thinner on the back end. It looks like 33-year-old Corey Graham will be forced into starting playing time instead of just being a useful role player in subpackages. Fourth string safety Deiondre’ Hall, who was acquired by Philadelphia earlier this month, could also be called upon to see defensive snaps. Or maybe the Eagles don’t trust him in Graham’s typical role just yet. Tough to say.
Again, it sounds like we’ll hear more on McLeod’s status soon. Here’s hoping for good news.
UPDATE: Former NFL team doctor David Chao weighs in.
By video, #RodneyMcLeod @Eagles injury more contusion than knee ligament. Hoping just pain tolerance and functional issue from soreness and a quick return. https://t.co/BcaS4DwS7P
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) September 27, 2018