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Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Source: Surgery to end season for Commanders RB Portis
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Already sidelined by the broken right hand that he sustained on Sunday afternoon, Washington Commanders star tailback Clinton Portis will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, ESPN.com has learned, and will finish the least productive season of his career in the least palatable manner, on injured reserve.
Clinton Portis
Running Back
Washington Commanders
Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
127 523 7 17 170 0
The Commanders have not yet officially placed Portis on injured reserve, but three league sources confirmed on Tuesday night that the season-ending move is imminent. Portis will be replaced in the starting lineup by five-year veteran Ladell Betts, one of the NFL's top No. 2 tailbacks.
Portis injured his right hand in the first quarter of Sunday's 27-3 loss at Philadelphia, when he stiff-armed Eagles' free safety Brian Dawkins near the sideline. On Monday, the five-year veteran underwent surgery to repair a fracture to the fourth metacarpal. Three surgical screws were inserted to promote stability and hasten the healing process, and Portis will probably be in a sling for about a week.
Team officials initially suggested Portis would miss 3-4 weeks, but might return for the last few games of the season. But after further consideration, the Commanders decided that bringing Portis back late in the year was perhaps too risky. Given the decision that he wouldn't play again in 2006, Portis and team officials then decided it was best to have his left shoulder repaired as well. The shoulder surgery probably will take place in the next week.
The rationale: By having the shoulder surgery now, instead of waiting until the end of the season, Portis would have more time to rehabilitate, and should be ready for the offseason program in the spring.
Portis, 25, suffered a partial dislocation of the left shoulder in the opening preseason game at Cincinnati on Aug. 13. He sat out the final three preseason games and did not start in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Portis did appear in that game, but was clearly affected by the shoulder, and managed just 39 yards on 10 carries coming off the bench. He then sat out the second game of the season entirely because of the shoulder.
Regarded as the centerpiece of the Washington offense, Portis has played the entire season in discomfort because of the shoulder injury and its lingering effects. He has carried 127 times for 523 yards and seven touchdowns, but those numbers are well below the standards he established in his first four seasons in the league. Originally drafted by Denver, and then traded to the Commanders in 2004 in a deal that sent cornerback Champ Bailey to the Broncos, the former University of Miami star ran for more than 1,300 yards in each of his first four seasons, and for more than 1,500 yards in three of those campaigns.
In 68 appearances, including 63 starts, Portis has 6,453 yards and 52 touchdowns on 1,385 rushes. He has established himself as a workhorse-type back and, even with the injuries truncating his season, his rushing statistics are among the best in the NFL for a player in his first five seasons.
Betts is an excellent receiver and third-down back, but has also been productive on those occasions when he has filled in for Portis and registered some carries. He has 82 rushes for 366 yards and one touchdown this season, with 30 receptions for 231 yards.
Coach Joe Gibbs said Monday that, with Portis sidelined, veteran tailback T.J. Duckett would have his role expanded. The Commanders traded third- and fourth-round draft picks after Portis suffered the shoulder injury this summer, acquiring him in a three-team deal as an insurance policy at running back. But the former Atlanta first-round draft choice has appeared in just three games and carried only seven times.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .
Source: Surgery to end season for Commanders RB Portis
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Already sidelined by the broken right hand that he sustained on Sunday afternoon, Washington Commanders star tailback Clinton Portis will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, ESPN.com has learned, and will finish the least productive season of his career in the least palatable manner, on injured reserve.
Clinton Portis
Running Back
Washington Commanders
Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
127 523 7 17 170 0
The Commanders have not yet officially placed Portis on injured reserve, but three league sources confirmed on Tuesday night that the season-ending move is imminent. Portis will be replaced in the starting lineup by five-year veteran Ladell Betts, one of the NFL's top No. 2 tailbacks.
Portis injured his right hand in the first quarter of Sunday's 27-3 loss at Philadelphia, when he stiff-armed Eagles' free safety Brian Dawkins near the sideline. On Monday, the five-year veteran underwent surgery to repair a fracture to the fourth metacarpal. Three surgical screws were inserted to promote stability and hasten the healing process, and Portis will probably be in a sling for about a week.
Team officials initially suggested Portis would miss 3-4 weeks, but might return for the last few games of the season. But after further consideration, the Commanders decided that bringing Portis back late in the year was perhaps too risky. Given the decision that he wouldn't play again in 2006, Portis and team officials then decided it was best to have his left shoulder repaired as well. The shoulder surgery probably will take place in the next week.
The rationale: By having the shoulder surgery now, instead of waiting until the end of the season, Portis would have more time to rehabilitate, and should be ready for the offseason program in the spring.
Portis, 25, suffered a partial dislocation of the left shoulder in the opening preseason game at Cincinnati on Aug. 13. He sat out the final three preseason games and did not start in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Portis did appear in that game, but was clearly affected by the shoulder, and managed just 39 yards on 10 carries coming off the bench. He then sat out the second game of the season entirely because of the shoulder.
Regarded as the centerpiece of the Washington offense, Portis has played the entire season in discomfort because of the shoulder injury and its lingering effects. He has carried 127 times for 523 yards and seven touchdowns, but those numbers are well below the standards he established in his first four seasons in the league. Originally drafted by Denver, and then traded to the Commanders in 2004 in a deal that sent cornerback Champ Bailey to the Broncos, the former University of Miami star ran for more than 1,300 yards in each of his first four seasons, and for more than 1,500 yards in three of those campaigns.
In 68 appearances, including 63 starts, Portis has 6,453 yards and 52 touchdowns on 1,385 rushes. He has established himself as a workhorse-type back and, even with the injuries truncating his season, his rushing statistics are among the best in the NFL for a player in his first five seasons.
Betts is an excellent receiver and third-down back, but has also been productive on those occasions when he has filled in for Portis and registered some carries. He has 82 rushes for 366 yards and one touchdown this season, with 30 receptions for 231 yards.
Coach Joe Gibbs said Monday that, with Portis sidelined, veteran tailback T.J. Duckett would have his role expanded. The Commanders traded third- and fourth-round draft picks after Portis suffered the shoulder injury this summer, acquiring him in a three-team deal as an insurance policy at running back. But the former Atlanta first-round draft choice has appeared in just three games and carried only seven times.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .
