COWBOYS LB INJURES KNEE
The Dallas Cowboys might be without a starting defender for a portion of the regular season, though the injury does not look to be as severe as once feared. Linebacker Anthony Hitchens will be out for eight weeks with a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee suffered during Saturday’s preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, according to ESPN. The team initially feared the injury would be a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament. Hitchens’ agent confirmed via Twitter that he had not been diagnosed with a torn ACL.
DeShone Kizer was the fourth quarterback selected in April’s NFL draft, but he’s now the first in his class to earn a starting role. Coach Hue Jackson said Sunday that the rookie from Notre Dame will be the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 starter. Jackson previously said Kizer was on track to be the starter after giving him the job for Satur- day’s preseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The appointment comes nearly four months after Kizer had to wait until the second round to be selected No. 52 overall by the Browns. He watched as Mitchell
Trubisky (No. 2, Chicago Bears), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10, Kansas City Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12, Houston Texans) were taken ahead of him. But all of his peers appear on track to begin the year on the bench.
The Kansas City Chiefs likely will be without last year’s leading rusher as they begin the 2017 season. Running back Spencer
Ware likely will need seasonending surgery to repair a torn posterior cruciate ligament and damage to the lateral collateral ligament, trainer Rick Burk
holder said Sunday. “He damaged those, and at this point in time, our medical staff believes that he needs season-ending surgery to correct that problem,” Burkholder said, according to the
Kansas City Star. “But like with all these significant injuries, we’ll exhaust all of our options and look at second opinions and then do what’s best for Spencer’s knee and his career.” Ware was injured in the first quarter of Friday’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. He led the Chiefs in rushing last season with 921 yards on 214 carries. Rookie Ka
reem Hunt, a third-round pick out of Toledo, assumes the starting role with Ware sidelined.
Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller also could contribute.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith was carted off with a left knee injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. Fox Sports reported that Bears trainers suspect the injury is a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Meredith suffered the injury when he was tackled after a 16-yard reception. He had an air cast placed on his leg before he sat down on the cart with a towel over his head. Meredith, 24, led the Bears with 66 catches for 888 receiving yards last season.