Gannon out for six weeks due to injury
Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon has a broken vertebra in his neck that will sideline him at least six weeks.
Gannon had an MRI exam Monday morning and was taken for further tests. Coach Norv Turner didn’t believe Gannon was at risk for paralysis and said the quarterback was walking around the team’s training facility before receiving the news about his neck.
“He will be out an extended period. A six-weeks deal, or maybe longer,” Turner said. “It’s disappointing… . It makes you sick to your stomach when any player puts as much into it as Rich has.”
Turner said it would be premature to speculate whether Gannon, the 2002 NFL MVP, would end up on injured reserve for the second straight season.
The 38-year-old Gannon left in the first quarter of Oakland’s 30-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from linebacker Derrick Brooks.
Gannon ran 2 yards on third-and-goal during the Raiders’ first offensive series, and was stopped at the 5 by Brooks. Gannon grimaced in pain on the ground, but walked off the field on his own, looking groggy.
He was examined by trainers, then left the field as backup Kerry Collins warmed up. Gannon was taken to the locker room for examination of his back, then returned to the sideline in the second half wearing a jacket, cap and his uniform pants.
“One comment Rich made to me this morning was, ‘I know better,’ “’ Turner said of running in that situation. “It was a heck of a hit.”
Turner said he wouldn’t discourage his QBs from running or scrambling.
Grossman out for season
Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman will miss the rest of the season after rupturing a ligament in his right knee.
“In a split-second, I knew I was out for the year,” Grossman said Monday. “It’s devastating.”
Backup quarterback Jonathan Quinn, who signed with the Bears in March, will become the starter.
Grossman was injured in Sunday’s 27-22 loss to Minnesota when he scored on a 6-yard scramble at the 2-minute warning. He left the stadium wearing a brace and using a crutch.
Around the league
Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair will stay in the hospital with a bruised sternum and will be listed as questionable on the NFL injury report. X-rays and a CAT scan showed no serious injuries, and McNair will be released from the hospital today… . Tampa Bay’s Charlie Garner will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the right patella tendon in his right knee, another blow to an already injury-riddled offense. The Bucs also lost tight end Rickey Dudley with a broken right thumb that will require surgery. … Philadelphia Eagles fullback Jon Ritchie will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Sunday’s 30-13 victory over the Detroit Lions… . Cleveland Browns linebacker Ben Taylor will miss the rest of the season after tearing a tendon in his chest during Sunday’s game against the New York Giants… . Bengals middle linebacker Nate Webster will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.