Manti Te’o to miss ‘extensive time’ with foot fracture
By Hayden Kane
The San Diego Chargers have packed a lot more punch on the defensive side of the ball than most people expected through three games this season. The team received some bad news on that front on Monday, however, as they learned that second-year linebacker Manti Te’o has a foot fracture.
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As reported by Michael Gehlken of UT-San Diego, the Chargers expect to be without Te’o for a lengthy period of time:
"The Chargers inside linebacker suffered a foot fracture during Sunday’s game against the Bills, sources said Monday. The severity is not such where he is expected to be placed on injured reserve, but he will miss multiple weeks."
Gehlken also notes that foot issues are becoming a recurring problem for Te’o. That may or may not factor into the timetable for his return from this injury.
Most famous for an off-the-field “catfishing” incident before he reached the NFL, Te’o has quietly turned into a solid pro on the Chargers’ defense. Through three games this year, the former Notre Dame Irishman and Heisman Trophy finalist leads his team with 19 tackles.
The Chargers are off to an impressive 2-1 start thanks in part to the fact that their defense has held up well so far. For the foreseeable future, that unit will have to find a way to keep it up without one of their best tacklers.
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