The San Francisco 49ers received unwelcome news on the injury front yesterday regarding starting linebacker Malcolm Smith. Also, the New York Jets saw their starting receiver suffer a neck injury while the arizona cardinals lost their rookie running back for an extended period of time.
Malcolm Smith's season likely over
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Malcolm Smtih was injured yesterday in practice, with head coach Kyle Shanahan saying immediately after practice that he could miss an extended period of time. It turns out the Smith's pectoral injury is even worse than that, as an MRI revealed a tear that will likely cause him to miss the entire season. Smith suffered the injury chasing down running back Matt Breida, appearing to get his arm caught on Breida helmet when he was tackling.
The 49ers signed Smith in the offseason to a five-year, $26.5 million contract in the offseason, with plans for him to be a starting linebacker. He spent his first four seasons mostly playing a backup role with the Seahawks but memorably won Super Bowl MVP honors. Smith has since spent his last two season in Oakland as a starter, putting up 226 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions.
Quincy Enuwa injures neck
The New York Jets number one wide receiver, Quincy Enuwa, injured his neck last night during practice. He dropped a pass from Christian Hackenberg, took a step and fell face first without being touched. Head coach Todd Bowles said that the injury was similar to one that caused Enuwa to miss spring workouts earlier in the offseason.
With the team having cut Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, Enuwa is the most experienced wideout on the team with 80 career receptions and 19 career starts. Last season, the 24-year-old had his best year in the NFL, putting up 58 receptions for 857 yards and 4 touchdowns.
T.J. Logan dislocates wrist
Arizona Cardinals rookie running back T.J.
Logan dislocated his wrist late in the fourth quarter of Thursday's Hall of Fame game against the Cowboys. He will need surgery on the injury and will be put on injured reserve by the team. Logan is expected to miss about 12 weeks, which means he could be back around week 8. However, the team would have to choose to designate him for return from IR.
The Cardinals selected the speedy rookie out of North Carolina in the fifth round, to provide depth at running back and play on special teams. Now, the backup load behind star David Johnson will have to be carried by veterans Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington.
