With Darren Sproles Out, Eagles Lose a Leader
(Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images)
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson announced Monday that running back Darren Sproles would be lost for the rest of the season with an ACL tear and broken arm, which could mark the end of the 34-year olds' career.
"Yeah, I can actually confirm that it is an ACL tear," Pederson said.
"It's unfortunate. Also a broken forearm. Double whammy on a play. But yeah, unfortunate."
It’s disappointing news for a running back who may have played his last game, racking up 19,155 yards over a 12-year career.
During his four-year career with the Eagles, Sproles played 49 games, racking up 154 catches for 1,275 yards, another 1,154 yards on the ground and 1,240 return yards with four touchdowns.
"I mean, losing a guy like Sproles is a big loss, no doubt," Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "He is a class act and an elite player, playmaker. He's proven it over a lot of years, so it'll be a big loss."
But on top of all that production, losing Sproles is also a big deal from a football perspective. He's respected in the locker room, and for a team that is trying to consistently find way to close out games, he could be a missing piece late in games on game day.
"Yeah, it can be a blow," Pederson admitted.
"Like I said, he's a great man. He's a great leader, well-liked on this team and in this locker room and in this community. He's a lot of energy, and that's hard to replace. It's hard to replace. And so guys are just going to have to rally and pick up that spot and move forward."
"He's just a class act," ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio said. A great leader, did anything and everything for the team, he will be missed big time."