Browns’ Jackson injures pectoral muscle
The Cleveland Browns have a new glaring hole on defence as inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson will be out for at least a few weeks after injuring his right pectoral muscle. It is the second such injury that Jackson has experienced this year and it is not known exactly how much action he’ll miss.
Browns’ coach Eric Mangini has said Jackson will begin rehab and will be re-evaluated over the next few weeks. There are no plans for surgery yet, but Jackson is looking for a second opinion. He will visit Dr. Frank Cordasco, a New York based surgeon who repaired his chest injury last year.
Jackson missed the last 10 games of the 2009 season after his left pectoral muscle was torn off the bone. He needed surgery to repair that injury and he left practice with his right pectoral muscle injured and seemed visibly upset.
With Jackson sidelined, the team will have to shuffle their line-backing corps. The good news is they added some depth at the position this offseason. They signed Scott Fujita, who won the Super Bowl last year with the New Orleans Saints and traded for Chris Gocung. Gocung has played alongside Jackson on the inside in training camp. Eric Barton will likely be inserted in Jackson’s spot during his recovery. Barton took the position last year, but his season ended early as well, missing the last eight games with an injured neck.
The Browns depth will now be tested at linebacker, but the good news for them is it’s the one position where they do have depth: "This will be a test," Gocong said following a practice. "We're definitely going to move guys around and see what fits where. We're going to have to move some guys around. We've got a lot of guys who can do a lot of things."
The injury is a blow to Jackson, who reluctantly signed a one-year restricted free agent tender after he was not offered a long-term deal. Jackson is a great tackler and was impressive in training camp before getting hurt. He was looking to have a great season in hopes of landing a big free agent contract next winter. Now he’ll have to hope the injury doesn’t end up being a tear, which would likely end his season.
"He's not thinking negative about it," said safety Abram Elam, who spoke with Jackson on Wednesday. "He's trying to bring some positive into it. He's optimistic. Last year when we lost D'Qwell, we had to come together and it gave other guys opportunities. We have to do it again."
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