The Washington Redskins are reportedly going to be without running back Derrius Guice as he deals with a knee injury.
According to multiple reports, the Washington Redskins are going to be shorthanded at the running back position. It appears that Derrius Guice has suffered a knee injury and will be out an indefinite amount of time.
This is the second time at the pro level that Guice has suffered a knee injury. Last year, he tore his left ACL in the first game of the preseason and ended up missing the entire season. This time around, he’ll hope for better results.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to note that Guice had an MRI and was likely to miss time, and he pointed to Guice’s 10 carries for 18 yards against the Eagles as a sign that the running back wasn’t looking right.
Sources: #Redskins RB Derrius Guice had an MRI this morning on the other, non-ACL knee and he’s likely to miss some time. The hope is he does not need surgery, but the team is doing a full evaluation. He gained 18 yards on 10 carries, looking like he wasn’t himself.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2019
NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay confirmed that Guice was dealing with an injury and also noted that Guice could get stem cell therapy on the knee to see if that helps his cause.
Sources tell me that Derrius Guice might get stem cell therapy on his knee. Could help avoid surgery. Remember that Guice wasn’t cleared for full contact until mid August.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) September 9, 2019
No matter how you look at it, this is discouraging news for Guice. There were big expectations for him entering the year as the starter in Washington. But for the second straight year, he has had trouble staying healthy. Perhaps this absence will only be short-term, but the LSU product’s start to his career certainly hasn’t been ideal.
In Guice’s stead, the Redskins will likely use Adrian Peterson as their lead back. Peterson was a surprise inactive in Week 1 and that didn’t sit well with some of the veterans on the team. Now, the team will avoid having to make a difficult decision on this end as Peterson will be healthy, active, and will get a chance to start against a Dallas defense which he fared decently against last season (134 yards on 36 carries).
Once there is more clarity on Guice’s timeline, we’ll be able to provide an update. For the time being, the Redskins have suffered yet another important injury and now will only be three-deep at running back for at least a few weeks with Peterson, Chris Thompson, and Wendell Smallwood being their options.