Eagles’ Darren Sproles Has Torn ACL

Darren Sproles‘ outlook for 2017 has gone from bad to worse. In addition to a broken arm, it turns out the running back also suffered a torn ACL on the same play on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The torn ACL will rule Sproles out for the season, forcing the Eagles to place him on injured reserve. Darren Sproles (vertical)

Sproles, 34, indicated that 2017 would be his final NFL season. The serious knee injury likely seals that decision for the veteran running back.

In three games this year, Sproles had 15 carries for 61 yards, good for a respectable 4.1 yards-per-carry average. He also caught seven passes for 73 yards. He was expected to have a big role as the Eagles’ pass-catching specialist out of the backfield, but he wasn’t utilized all that much.

The Eagles will move forward with Wendell Smallwood and signed LeGarrette Blount as their top backs while UDFA Corey Clement will be asked to play a larger role. They may want to add a running back to the mix to help replace Sproles’ hands, particularly in light of the team’s overall RB issues in September.

Sproles totaled the most carries of his career last year with 94 and he also caught 52 passes. The 965 yards were the diminutive runner’s third-most in his career.

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