Report: Denver’s Miller sustains serious ankle injury
Team awaiting results of an MRI
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the Denver Broncos fear star linebacker Von Miller suffered a season-ending ankle injury toward the end of practice Tuesday.
The person said the team was awaiting results of an MRI on Miller.
The practice took place indoors because of a snowstorm that struck the Rocky Mountains after a series of upper-90s and 100-degree days.
Miller appeared primed for a big season after adding several pounds of muscle in the offseason and rededicating himself. Last month, he said he was inspired by Kobe Bryant’s eulogy and Michael Jordan’s documentary.
Miller’s pass rushing partner, Bradley Chubb, has hit some rough patches in his return from a torn ACL, and coach Vic Fangio suggested recently that Chubb would take some time to get back to 100%.
The Broncos open the season Monday night against Tennessee.
SOCIAL JUSTICE: Four years later, the NFL admitted it was wrong and said it now supports Colin Kaepernick in his fight against racial injustice, encouraging players to take a stand — or a knee — for the cause. What happens next? The league’s 101st season kicks off Thursday night, when the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans. NFL end zones will be inscribed this season with two slogans: “It Takes All Of Us” on one side, “End Racism” on the other.
As part of its social justice awareness initiatives, the NFL also will allow similar visuals on helmets and caps. Players will be permitted to wear decals on the back of helmets, or patches on team caps, displaying names or phrases to honor victims of racism and/or police brutality.
“The NFL stands with the Black community, the players, clubs and fans,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week. “Confronting recent systemic racism with tangible and productive steps is absolutely essential. We will not relent in our work.” KAEPERNICK: Madden NFL players will have the opportunity to see how Colin Kaepernick might fare if he was back on the field.
EA Sports announced Tuesday that the company has partnered with Kaepernick and is including him in the latest version of Madden 21. Fans can sign Kaepernick as a free agent in franchise mode and put him at the helm of any NFL team, as well as including him on any team in the play now mode.
Kaepernick has an 81 overall Madden rating, which is tops among free-agent quarterbacks. BROWNS: Suspended last season by the NFL for two physical off-field altercations, Kareen Hunt signed a two-year, $13.25 million contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, who took a chance on the running back and are now committing to him long term.
WASHINGTON: Ron Rivera missed Washington’s first game week practice to begin treatment for a form of skin cancer, so Jack Del Rio stepped in as planned.
“We carried on as normal,” Del Rio said Tuesday. “It was pretty much business as usual.”
Del Rio didn’t have an update on how Rivera was feeling, but expects him back at the team’s practice facility Wednesday. So far since taking over in Washington, Rivera has been a part of the franchise dropping its name, the organization responding to allegations of sexual harassment from before he arrived and began his own cancer battle.