There goes the Michael Turner trade rumors...<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Chargers' Sproles sidelined with fractured fibulaESPN.com news servicesSecond-year veteran Darren Sproles will miss the season, after the Chargers' return specialist was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. He underwent Monday surgery to repair a fractured left fibula.Darren SprolesRunning BackSan Diego ChargersProfile2005 SEASON STATISTICSRush Yds TD Rec Yds TD8 50 0 3 10 0The team also revealed Tuesday that wide receiver Vincent Jackson has been hospitalized since Saturday night with a bruised chest.Coach Marty Schottenheimer wouldn't expand on Jackson's condition. Jackson was injured in Saturday night's exhibition win over the Green Bay Packers."He is still in the hospital but everything seems to be going smoothly and he should be out of the hospital no later than tomorrow," Schottenheimer said. "He has some type of compression injury to his chest, but they expect him to be back and not be any long-term consequence."Sproles was injured in the team's opening preseason game on Saturday and the original diagnosis was that he had suffered a high ankle sprain. Further tests, however, revealed the broken fibula and the San Diego medical staff recommended surgery."That's not good news, but that's the way it goes," general manager A.J. Smith said of putting Sproles on injured reserve."The time frame was too much, three to four months. When you look at it, it just doesn't make sense right now to bring him back. He should have a full recovery."Smith said the Chargers would try to replace Sproles from within first before seeking outside help.Sproles, 23, averaged 24.3 yards on 63 kickoff returns as a rookie in 2005, with a long runback of 58 yards. He also handled the punt return chores for a while, but after struggling to catch the ball and averaging only 6.0 yards on 18 runbacks, he was replaced.A fourth-round draft choice, Sproles only handled the ball 11 times from scrimmage in 2005, but averaged 6.3 yards on eight carries. Because of his elusiveness in the open field, and his big-play potential, the San Diego coaches had spent the spring and summer formulating plans to get Sproles on the field more."And the light bulb had gone on in a number of areas," Schottenheimer said.During his absence, the Chargers will use backup tailback Michael Turner to return kickoffs. The punt return chores may be split between wide receivers Eric Parker and Keenan McCardell.Jackson, who caught three passes for 59 yards as a rookie last year, is being penciled in as the No. 3 receiver behind McCardell and Parker. Neither McCardell (hamstring) nor Parker (thumb) practiced Tuesday, leaving the Chargers thin at wideout.Information from The Associated Press and ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli was used in this report.</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2549995
He wasnt really a factor on there team, just a Punt and Kick returner but its a shame to see him go down.
It's a shame to see ANYONE get injured. Personally, I really like the guy, he went to Kansas State which is a pretty big football school where I used to live and I think he has potential as a kick returner in the NFL. Too bad he got injured though...
