What regarded like a nightmare situation for the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday rapidly become the most effective outcomes they might have hoped for simply 24 hours later.
Shemar Stewart suffered a scary-looking leg injury throughout the workforce’s first open apply of coaching camp Wednesday. His leg appeared to bend into a clumsy place, prompting him to fall to the bottom throughout the first 11-on-11 drills of the week.
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Trainers rushed onto the sphere as Stewart was unable to place any weight on the leg. He was carted off in apparent ache and left the ability on crutches whereas sporting a brace on his left leg, hoping for one of the best as he underwent further analysis.
Most feared he had suffered a torn ACL or different important ligament injury that might sideline him for the whole season. Social media was flooded with movies of the damage, and few believed the second-year defensive finish could be again on the sphere anytime quickly.
Stewart watched Thursday’s apply from the sideline on crutches whereas anxiously ready to study his destiny. Fortunately for Stewart, additional medical testing supplied a way of reduction not just for him, but additionally for his teammates, coaches and followers.
Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed the analysis whereas talking to the media Thursday, saying Stewart prevented a serious damage.
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“It was hard to see him go down like that,” Taylor stated. “The good news is that we’ll be getting him back sooner rather than later.”
Stewart suffered a hyperextended knee with no ligament injury, which seems to be the best-case situation contemplating how the damage regarded. He will reportedly miss “several weeks,” in keeping with Taylor, who didn’t present an actual timeline for the younger edge rusher’s return. Stewart will obtain remedy in hopes of returning to apply earlier than coaching camp concludes.
Obviously, that is lower than preferrred for Stewart as he appears to be like to make a soar from a less-than-stellar rookie season, however it represents a large victory for the Bengals. If they need Stewart to turn out to be a future cornerstone of the protection in Cincinnati, he wants as many reps as doable to proceed his improvement.
The Bengals will possible proceed cautiously with Stewart’s damage, particularly throughout the early levels of coaching camp. For a franchise that has already handled its share of preseason damage scares lately, Thursday’s analysis was about nearly as good as anybody may have hoped for. Stewart prevented catastrophe, and Cincinnati’s plans for its younger protection stay firmly intact heading into the 2026 season.