Washington Redskins NFL Trade and Roster Rumors: Phil Taylor Out for Season Due to Quad Injury
The Washington Redskins will have to fill a hole in the middle because defensive lineman Phil Taylor is expected to miss the entire 2017 season after he tore his left quad tendon during the first quarter of their preseason victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
"I feel terrible for Phil because he did a great job at getting himself ready to play. He's in excellent shape but it's just an unfortunate injury. The rest of the guys have got to step up," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden told reporters during a press conference, via the team's official website.
After a productive rookie season with the Cleveland Browns in 2011, Taylor was sidelined for most of the 2012 season because of a chest injury, and knee problems have kept him off the field since Nov. 2014.
The Redskins gave the former first-round pick a chance to resurrect his career this summer and he was great during the preseason. In fact, Taylor appeared to be the favorite to win the starting job at nose tackle before he got injured. But now he has to undergo surgery on Wednesday.
"He's still got a lot of football left, and (I told him) don't give up pretty much and get back healthy and get back to it. To go through two different injuries that put you down for two seasons and then you got this horror you got to go through, it's pretty tough," Redskins defensive end Ziggy Hood said, via FOX Sports.
Joey Mbu and A.J. Francis will get the opportunity to win the starting job, but the Redskins may also play Hood at nose tackle. Free agent addition Stacy McGee should also see some action at the position next season since he used to play nose tackle for the Oakland Raiders. Terrell McClain, Jonathan Allen, Anthony Lanier and Matt Ioannidis are options as well.
