Last year, we were told that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a gruesome leg injury in practice that required emergency surgery in order to save the leg. Doctors were able to perform the surgery and prevent the loss of his limb, and now reports are emerging that suggest Bridgewater’s return to the starting lineup could happen at any time.
Unfortunately, Zach Miller will have to look to Bridgewater’s rehabilitation for inspiration, as Miller suffered an even more serious injury to his leg on Sunday. According to team doctors, Miller suffered a dislocated knee, multiple torn ligaments and arterial damage as he tried to haul in a touchdown pass on Sunday. Slow motion replays show Miller’s knee bending in the wrong direction as he tried to reel in the catch. You can see video of the injury below, but you should know that it is graphic in nature.
Surgeon Describes Zach Miller’s Injury
According to reports, Zach Miller suffered a dislocated knee, multiple torn ligaments and arterial damage in his leg. This is more serious than the injury suffered by Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a dislocated knee, a torn ACL, other ligament damage but did not suffer arterial damage. Unless Miller received surgical attention for the arterial damage, there’s a chance he would lose his leg. Reports suggest that he has undergone the first of many surgeries on the leg, and doctors are working to ensure the arterial damage is addressed so that his leg can recover.
When a person dislocates their knee, it is because major damage has occurred to the knee ligaments. Miller has suffered at least two torn ligaments, and it’s very likely that he has torn his ACL, LCL and PCL. It sounds like the artery was damaged to some extent, and there’s even the possibility that his pereonal nerve could be damaged. Doctors will address the arterial damage and the nerve damage in the first operation, and then he will undergo major ligament reconstruction in the near future.
Bridgewater missed all of 2016 and more than half of 2017 with his knee injury, so not only is Miller done for the rest of this year, but his 2018 season may be in jeopardy. Considering he’s already 33 years old, there’s also the chance that Miller will opt for retirement instead of committing more than a year to a rehab plan that leaves him with an uphill battle to make a roster and an increased likelihood of another knee injury in the future.
Whatever he decides to do, I believe he’ll face the challenge head on. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery and can put the injury behind him.
