Kearse out indefinitely with 'severe' knee injury after MRI

[dirty]

Sep. 18, 2006 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

PHILADELPHIA -- Jevon Kearse could be sidelined indefinitely with a "severe" knee injury the star defensive end sustained in Philadelphia's overtime loss to the Giants on Sunday.

Kearse, who had 2½ sacks in the game, was injured when his leg knocked against Mike Patterson while the two brought down Eli Manning on New York's first possession of the extra period. Kearse reached for his left knee immediately after the play, was helped off the field and carted to the locker room.
He had an MRI exam on Monday, and coach Andy Reid said the severity of the injury still was being evaluated.
"It's severe. I don't have a time or length," Reid said. "We'll have to see how bad it is exactly. I'll let you know later."
Guard Shawn Andrews strained his shoulder, cornerback Rod Hood left with a heel injury, tight end L.J. Smith sprained his shoulder and running back Brian Westbrook has swelling in his knee.

Javon Kearse needs help off the field after suffering a 'severe' knee injury. (AP)

The injury to Kearse appears most serious.
Kearse is in his third season with the Eagles after signing a $66 million, eight-year contract in 2004. He had 7½ sacks in each of his first two seasons in Philadelphia after getting at least 9 ½ in four of his five years in Tennessee. He already had 3½ sacks in two games and seemed poised to have an outstanding season.
Kearse's injury should give former first-round pick Jerome McDougle an opportunity to play after he was inactive the first two games. Backup ends Trent Cole (four) and Juqua Thomas (two) have combined for six sacks while getting plenty of playing time in defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's eight-man line rotation.
The Eagles already have 13 sacks this season, including 12 from a revamped defensive line that had just 21½ of the team's 29 sacks last year.
A first-round pick by Tennessee in 1999, Kearse quickly established himself as one of the NFL's premier sack artists and earned the nickname: "The Freak."
Kearse had 36 sacks and went to the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons, twice earning All-Pro honors. But he had just 11½ sacks in his last two injury-plagued seasons with the Titans. He missed 12 games with a broken bone in his left foot in 2002, sprained the same foot the following year and missed nearly three games.
Kearse has missed three games with the Eagles, but two of those came in 2004 after Philadelphia had clinched first place in the conference and rested its regulars.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

[d ray]

out for the year