Bears' Reciever Johnny Knox Hit Hard, Will Have Back Surgery
Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox will undergo back surgery Monday, after being carted off the field Sunday due to a seemingly severe back injury.
The surgery is to stabilize vertebra in his middle and lower back. Knox was injured the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Knox went to catch a 17-yard pass that was thrown deep over the middle of the field.
Knox was hit hard by strong safety Kam Chancellor, knocking the ball loose. As Knox dived to recover the ball, the 272-pound defensive end Anthony Hargrove collided with him, folding the smaller receiver backwards on top of himself.
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The hit, which was deemed legal, left Knox motionless on the field for a number of minutes. He had to be stabilized and carted off the field while players from both teams prayed and looked on. It was reported by Bears’ coach, Lovie Smith, that the injury wasn’t believed to be life-threatening, nor career-threatening.
“He has total movement throughout his body, has total use of his extremities, which is good…we’re doing tests right now. He’s not paralyzed,” Smith told reporters.
Neel Anand, director of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, said he was encouraged when heard the news that Knox could move his limbs, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.
“Neurologically, he’s completely fine,” Anand said. “The only thing left is the nature of stability.”
He went on to say that based on the collision, Knox’s injury occurred at the junction of the thoracic and lumbar curvatures, and doctors will look to determine whether Knox has suffered “unstable or a potentially unstable fracture.” Surgeons will stabilize the fracture with screws and rods.
“If it’s an innocuous fracture, and all he needs is screws and rods, he could come back in three to six months,” Anand said. He added that Knox should be okay by next season. The injury should not threaten his quality of life.
Knox is in his third season with the Bears, and was drafted from Abilene Christian University. A Houston native, Knox was enjoying a breakout season. He is the Bears leading wide receiver, with 727 receiving yards and an average of 19.6 yards per catch. The Bears lost the match-up 38-14, capping a 4-game losing streak.
