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Report: Keith Marshall out for the season after suffering knee injury in practice

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 26: Running back Keith Marshall #39 of the Washington Redskins runs the ball during the game between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills at FedExField on August 26, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Bills 21-16. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 26: Running back Keith Marshall #39 of the Washington Redskins runs the ball during the game between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills at FedExField on August 26, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Bills 21-16. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images) /
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Keith Marshall was a long shot to make the Washington Redskins final roster. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Saturday.

The career of former seventh round draft pick Keith Marshall has not exactly gone as planned. After the Redskins selected him in the 2016 NFL Draft, many thought that he would be able to turn into an effective rotational back thanks to his game breaking speed. Unfortunately, Marshall was unable to get any work in as a rookie after being sidelined with an elbow injury. The 2017 season was a make-or-break year for him, but the outcome was decided far too early.

On Saturday at practice, Marshall went down with a knee injury. Trainers had to put a brace on his knee and bring out the cart for him. The injury looked serious. And it was. On Sunday afternoon, ESPN’s John Keim confirmed that Marshall had indeed suffered a season ending knee injury. Making matters worse, the diagnosis, a torn patellar tendon, will make it very hard for Marshall to come back from the injury.

Over the course of the past couple seasons, a few notable players have suffered torn patellar. Often, it is hard for players returning from this injury to succeed as they lose some of their speed and explosiveness thanks to the injury. This is what happened in the case of Victor Cruz, who has never been the same since suffering the injury in 2014. He is just one of many players to struggle to return from the injury.

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In fact, according to an article by Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, the return rate for players suffering torn patellar tendons is much lower than that of other injuries.

"A study published in June by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, cataloging postoperative outcomes of orthopaedic procedures in NFL players, found only 50 percent of players returned after having surgery on torn patellar tendons. That’s particularly daunting considering that 79.4 percent of players returned to play after orthopaedic procedures in general, which makes patellar tendon repair an outlier."

This is going to make Marshall’s road an uphill battle. He was already going to be hard pressed to find a spot on the Redskins roster, as he was firmly fifth in the ranks among the team’s stable of backs. Granted, he could have won a spot on the practice squad if he demonstrated the speed he had in college, but it was already a long shot. Now, the odds are even lower.

The best case scenario for Marshall will be to make a full comeback and still have some semblance of the speed that made him an enticing prospect. That is going to be hard, but if he can remake himself into a shifty runner with decent speed, he could be a depth guy for a team. Right now, his future is up in the air, but if he gives it his all, he may find a spot in the NFL.

Next: Josh Doctson training camp profile 2017

It’s never a good thing to see an NFL player go down with such a serious injury. Here’s hoping that Marshall is able to make a full recovery. We here at Riggo’s Rag will certainly be rooting for him.

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