On his first carry of Sunday's game against the Raiders, Maurice Jones-Drew injured his foot in a way that will keep him from playing in a Week 8 game against the Packers. While the running back tried to play another down with the injury he was forced to leave the game due to the injury and was eventually taken to the locker room before returning on crutches with a walking boot.
During his Monday press conference, Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey didn't rule out the possibility of a Lisfranc injury being the diagnosis for Jones-Drew. "The initial thing was Lisfranc concern. That's the first thing you look for in his feet," Mularkey said. "That's the initial diagnosis on it and that's what we've been having with these guys' sprains. Unfortunately we've had enough experience at it recently."
A Lisfranc injury has been a recently reoccurring injury in the NFL as Matt Schaub's 2011 season ended due to one and Santonio Holmes' season was recently ended for the same reason. A Lisfranc injury for Jones-Drew would likely mean the end of his 2012 season, but what exactly is a Lisfranc injury?
via (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
As the Lisfranc joint complex is a meeting in the arch of the foot of bones and ligaments, particularly the Lisfranc ligament, a possible injury to the region of the foot can be either a fracture, sprain or ligament tear. However, Mularkey told reporters that a bone injury was not likely the case for Jones-Drew when asked if the foot was broken.
That may not be the best case scenario though, as Abby Sims, a Ortho/sports physical therapist, wrote on Huffington Post that it is often the fractures that heal better and provide better long-term prospects for the athlete:
"It is thought that Lisfranc injuries without fracture are likely to have worse outcomes, with the possibility of later midfoot collapse or metatarsalgia (inflammation of the region)... A reason to be more encouraged by the long-term prospects faced by the player who is out for the season after surgery (like Holmes) than one who escapes the scalpel."
Of course, the severity of the injury can be completely different from case to case, but in the event that Jones-Drew does have a Lisfranc injury, his season could be over. Considering the start of the season for the Jaguars though, what may be more concerning will be the long-term effects of the injury for Jones-Drew and whether or not it affects his ability to play at the same level he was prior to the injury.