Week 7 wasn't kind on the injury front as numerous players suffered season-ending injuries, or the potential of them depending on Monday evaluations. These could hit the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears the hardest, where both teams wait to hear about the status of their starting quarterbacks.
NFL injury roundup: Sam Bradford and Jay Cutler to undergo MRI
Two NFC quarterbacks will need to have further evaluation to determine their injuries.
Patrick Smith
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Sunday's shootout between the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins could have gone very differently if Chicago had its top gunslinger. Jay Cutler limped off the field with the assistance of the Bears' training staff, but was taken to the locker room for further evaluation.
Worst-case scenario for Chicago would be a torn groin, which could put Cutler out for the majority of the remaining season. This would almost certainly kill any momentum moving forward and spell an early season to the Bears’ playoff hopes. It’s commonplace to critique his ability to play through the pain, but it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during the first half of the season.
The St. Louis Rams were trying to gain ground in the NFC West, but that took a serious blow as they traveled to Carolina and left with a 30-15 loss. Although falling another game back hurts, losing Sam Bradford would make the season another year of roster evaluating and future planning.
Bradford often goes unmentioned in the quarterback conversation, but he has played very well in 2013 -- doing exactly what the short-yardage offense asked him to. He was on pace for over 3,000 yards passing while throwing 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
The fear is that Bradford tore his ACL when he was pushed out of bounds in the fourth quarter. If this ends up being the diagnosis it would not only spell the end to his season, but could put his future in St. Louis in jeopardy.
The most serious injury of the day occurred in Green Bay, where Packers tight end Jermichael Finley lay motionless on the field for an extended period of time after sustaining a neck injury.
He was carted from the field and will need to undergo evaluation. Hopefully there will be some good news on the injury front Monday as his health should be the focal point moving forward.
Brian Cushing's season has been cut short for the second straight year, as the middle linebacker tore his LCL in a loss to Kansas City on Sunday. It's likely he will require surgery, but reports already indicate he'll be out for the remainder of the season.
The injury leaves a huge void for the Texans defense, which doesn't have a solid replacement at inside linebacker. Rookie Justin Tuggle will get the start, but he has just five tackles on the season with little evidence he can be relied on as a multi-game starter.
Tampa Bay got good news on Sunday when Doug Martin told the press that he did not separate his shoulder, but there is still a risk of injury as he will have further evaluation done to determine the extent of the injury.
Martin was on pace for over 330 carries this season as the workhorse of Tampa Bay's offense, but it's likely the Buccaneers will need to find another option on a short week. The team's next game happens on Thursday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers, and it remains to be seen if the organization will risk its long-term running back to play him on his injured shoulder with three days rest.
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