Colts' Freeney Likely to Miss Rest of Season

It appears that the foot injury suffered by Dwight Freeney during Sunday night's loss at San Diego probably will end the season of the Indianapolis Colts defensive end.

Colts President Bill Polian said during his weekly radio appearance Monday that he expects Freeney to miss at least three to four weeks, and perhaps more. Coach Tony Dungy has said he doesn't know how long Freeney will be sidelined. But several officials on other NFL teams say privately they've heard that Freeney suffered a season-ending injury. ESPN reported that Freeney might have suffered a Lisfranc injury that will require season-ending surgery. The Indianapolis Star reported that season-ending surgery is probable.

Lisfranc sprains and fractures are sometimes-serious midfoot injuries to the ligaments connecting the bones of the forefoot and midfoot, possibly with a dislocation of the bones. The injury is named for Jacques Lisfranc, a field surgeon in Napoleon's army who first observed it in soldiers who fell off horses but had their feet remain stuck in the stirrups. The injury sometimes occurs in automobile accident victims, but it is also seen relatively commonly in sports and several NFL players per season generally experience such injuries.

The Colts gave themselves some protection Monday by claiming veteran defensive end Simeon Rice off waivers. He'd been released by the Denver Broncos.

There also are suspicions around the league, incidentally, that Kansas City Chiefs tailback Larry Johnson might have suffered a Lisfranc injury. The Chiefs have described Johnson's injury as a midfoot injury but have not provided details. A Denver television station reported last week that Johnson would miss the remainder of the season because of a broken bone in his foot. The Chiefs have indicated they don't know how long Johnson will be sidelined, but they haven't placed him on the season-ending injured reserve list. They've ruled him out of a second straight game this week and announced that he is to be examined Monday by a foot specialist.

By Mark Maske |  November 14, 2007; 8:58 AM ET  | Category:  Chiefs , Colts
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