The Chicago Tribune’s Vaughn McClure reported this last night: “Bears nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek is scheduled to undergo an MRI Sunday to determine the severity of a right knee injury, Dvoracek left the field early during the Bears’ 17-3 exhibition win over the Giants Saturday night. He exited the locker room after the game with ice wrapped around the knee. Hours later, he said he would be “fine.”
This morning Chicago Sun-Times writer Brad Biggs reported this: “Based on his past, it cannot come as a surprise to the Bears that Dusty Dvoracek will miss the 2009 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee Saturday night against the New York Giants.”
I’m disappointed by this news. Ever since he was drafted three years ago, he has failed to live up to the expectations placed upon him. He plays hard, but the injury bug has held him down. He didn’t play a single game in 2006.
In 2007, he played just one game before being sidelined for the entire season due to a torn ACL in the same knee. Then in 2008, he played three quarters of the season and was a valuable contributor to the team, but missed the rest of the year after tearing his bicep.
I have to wonder if this spells out the end for Dvoracek. There’s only so much the Bears can take, and having injured the same knee twice now makes him a very risky proposition.
Dusty’s contract ends after the season. It doesn’t seem like there’s much reason for the Bears to sign him onto another contract and I’m not sure another team will want to take a chance on him.
Too many players suffer from fates like this, and it’s a shame. A promising career may have reached its end here due to his high propensity to injury.
What’s next? Well Marcus Harrison and Anthony Adams will continue splitting reps at nose tackle, while Matt Toeaina steps into the rotation.
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