Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller has had one of the more harrowing careers in terms of injuries seen. He’s never played a full season and missed all but four games from 2011 through 2014. Last year he missed six games. Tragically none of those ailments were the worst of the bunch. That came on a grizzly sequence in New Orleans when he made a controversial one-handed catch in the end zone.
On the play Miller went up for the ball and came down awkwardly. His left knee appeared to completely cave in. Somehow he managed to maintain possession but refs later declared it an incompletion, a decision that baffled most people watching the game. Miller was taken off on a cart. Head coach John Fox later said the veteran had been rushed to the hospital with a dislocated knee.
Thoughts and prayers going out to Zach Miller! pic.twitter.com/Gmfz1mt0Pv
— Kelly Littlefield (@FrozenPeaz) October 29, 2017
It turns out the worst news was yet to come. Word has since leaked out that the knee injury was so severe that Miller may in fact be in danger of having his left leg amputated.
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Terrible news this morning. Vascular surgeons fighting to save Bears TE #ZachMiller leg after dislocation in game yesterday.
— Shayna Hayes (@MsShaynaT) October 30, 2017
Sources tell @mortreport work done to save #ZachMiller leg included grafting tissue from the other leg to repair the damaged artery.
— Shayna Hayes (@MsShaynaT) October 30, 2017
This is much the same situation as Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater faced a year ago. He also suffered a bad knee dislocation. He apparently not only tore ligaments but also could’ve led to “arterial strangulation.” That means the artery in the knee being squeezed to where blood no longer flows into the bottom half of the leg. Prolonged time in this situation would require amputation.
Doctors would not have a ton of time to correct this problem, hence the swift transfer of Miller to the hospital. They have to go straight into surgery as quickly as possible. Further details of this situation are not yet available. One can only hope Miller has the same good fortune as Bridgewater did. Bears fans everywhere are pulling for him.
