Vikings offensive lineman Josh Samuda will miss the entire 2014-15 season after suffering a gruesome leg injury during non-contact drills on Tuesday.
Samuda underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a broken fibula, a dislocated ankle and deltoid ligament damage he suffered while participating in a non-contract team workout. A source close to the situation said more will be known about the extent of the injury in the coming days, but officials don’t believe the injury is career threatening.
“We’ll wait, like, six weeks and see how he starts to heal,” the source said. “He’s in good spirits. It’s a freak accident; it’s unfortunate and severe, but he’s focused on rehabbing his body.”
Doctors believe the injury will keep him away from football activities for 9-10 months, which means he won’t be able to suit up for the Vikings this season. You can see a picture of the injury below. Skip ahead if you’re squeamish.
#Vikings Josh Samuda suffered gruesome ankle injury this morning pic.twitter.com/7i6zTs3E5j
— bengarvin (@bengarvin) April 15, 2014
Samuda joined the Vikings in 2014 after signing a reserve/future contract with the team in January. The 25-year-old guard signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He then spent the 2013 season as a free agent before signing a deal with the Vikings this year.
Dr. Silverman comments
Ankles are not supposed to bend this way.
These things happen, especially when you factor in Samuda’s size and speed. He simply overloaded the leg with too much force/torque.
He’s got a long road of recovery ahead of him, but it sounds like he’s in good hands. Doctors will want to closely monitor the leg in the coming days to make sure there aren’t any complications or other issues that weren’t initially diagnosed. The best thing going for him is his current condition. Samuda is young and physically fit, which bodes well for recovery and rehabilitation.
Hopefully this isn’t the last time we see this young man in a football uniform.
Related source: Ben Garvin, Pioneer Press, ESPN