Brian Orakpo will be out of the picture for the rest of the 2012 season. (Getty Images) Following Sunday night's action, Shutdown Corner took a quick look at the key injuries coming out of Week 2 that we would be monitoring in Week 3. Below is an update on those ailments and how the teams will adjust without those players.
As painful as their 31-28 loss to the St. Louis Rams was, the Washington Redskins were dealt a bigger blow when it was determined on Monday that defensive end Adam Carriker (torn quad tendon) and outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (left pectoral) would miss the remainder of the 2012 season. A former first-round bust of the Rams, Carriker was coming off a career-year with the Redskins, posting 5.5 sacks and signing a four-year, $20 million contract in March.
Orakpo, a two-time Pro Bowler with 29.5 career sacks, reinjured the same pectoral muscle he had surgery on during the offseason. According to official playing-time documents, Orakpo rarely came off the field during his first three-plus seasons in the NFL, logging between 85 and 92 percent of the team's defensive snaps. The Redskins will rely on Rob Jackson and Chris Wilson to replace Orakpo at right outside linebacker, which should allow their opponents to focus on left outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.
To replace Carriker and Orakpo on the 53-man roster, the Redskins promoted Doug Worthingtonfrom the practice squad and signed linebacker Markus White off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad. White went to training camp with the Redskins and, according to the NFLPA salary database, had been earning an elevated salary of $299,999 ($17,647 per week) while on the Buccaneers' practice squad, well above the $5,700 per week minimum. By signing White off another team's practice squad, the Redskins have guaranteed the 2011 seventh-round pick out of Florida State three game checks ($82,059), regardless of whether or not he remains on the active roster during that time.
Rams left tackle Rodger Saffold suffered a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss at least four weeks. Saffold was injured while attempting to advance a fumble by quarterback Sam Bradford that was forced by Orakpo, who had beaten Saffold for his first, and ultimately only sack of the season. Wayne Hunter is expected to replace Saffold at left tackle.
The Philadelphia Eagles lost starting center Jason Kelce to a season-ending knee injury. A 2011 sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati, Kelce had earned the starting job as a rookie, playing in all but six snaps last season. In the Eagles' 24-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Kelce tore his medial collateral ligament and partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Eagles placed Kelce on the season-ending version of the injured reserve list, elevating Dallas Reynolds to a starting role and signing journeyman Steve Vallos to fill Kelce's spot on the 53-man roster.
Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin exited the win over the Ravens with a hip contusion. On Monday, head coach Andy Reid said that Maclin would miss Wednesday's practice but was not ready to rule him out for this Sunday's game against the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals.
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) and right tackle David Diehl (knee) exited Sunday's 41-34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bradshaw and Diehl have not practiced this week and are in jeopardy of missing Thursday night's game against the Carolina Panthers. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks remains slowed by an offseason foot injury, but is expected to play against the Panthers.
As mentioned earlier on Tuesday by our own Doug Farrar, the New England Patriots will be without tight end Aaron Hernandez — reportedly for the next six weeks -- and are turning to free agent Kellen Winslow. While Winslow can fill some of the roles Hernandez played in New England's offense, a major question mark about the short-term stop-gap is will Winslow's knee allow him to practice enough to learn those roles and develop any kind of rapport with Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to manage Winslow and the Seattle Seahawks kept the veteran on a pitch count during the offseason and training camp.
Speaking of the Seahawks, tight end Zach Miller (foot) and wide receiver Sidney Rice (knee) are expected to play in next Monday night's game against the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks could also get left tackle Russell Okung back from a bone bruise on his knee that pressed Frank Omiyale into service in Seattle's 27-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles reinjured his left knee against the Buffalo Bills and will miss this Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Romeo Crennel announced on Monday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert's hamstring injury turned out to be more of an issue with a gluteus maximus muscle, Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union reports. Gabbert is expected to start against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
