Umenyiora's Season Appears Done

The knee injury suffered by Osi Umenyiora on Saturday night probably will keep the New York Giants defensive end sidelined all season, a source said.

Umenyiora suffered ligament damage that likely will require surgery and three to four months of rehabilitation, according to the source.

The damage was revealed by an MRI exam taken today of Umenyiora's left knee, injured during Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets.

It is a major blow to the defending Super Bowl champions. Umenyiora had 13 sacks last season, the fifth-best total in the NFL, and his season-ending injury comes on the heels of the offseason retirement of fellow defensive end Michael Strahan. The Giants had been hopeful late Saturday that Umenyiora's injury would not be so serious. An X-ray was negative and Coach Tom Coughlin said during his postgame news conference he'd been told by the team's doctors the initial indications were that Umenyiora hadn't suffered ligament damage.

The Giants face the Washington Redskins in the NFL's season-opening game on Sept. 4 at Giants Stadium.

By Mark Maske |  August 24, 2008; 3:25 PM ET  | Category:  Giants
Previous: Favre, Jets Still Have Work to Do | Next: Don't Forget Strahan

The comments to this entry are closed.