Branden Albert sustains apparent injury
The Miami Dolphins are struggling to beat the sad-sack Washington Redskins and now they have another problem. High-priced left tackle Branden Albert went down with an apparent lower-body injury on Sunday afternoon, doing so in an awkward fashion.
Brandon Albert goes down awkwardly without much contact. His first game back from season-ending knee surgery a year ago.
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 13, 2015
Anytime you see a non-contact injury, you have to be worried about the knee and Achilles tendon. The fact Albert was able to walk off the field is obviously a good sign, but Albert is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered midway through the 2014 season. However, Albert is not headed for the locker room at this point.
Albert standing on sideline, helmet in hand. Looks OK for now
— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) September 13, 2015
Albert was a first-round draft pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 and played well at left tackle from his rookie season on. Albert was able to help the Chiefs to a division title in 2010, although Kansas City was bounced in the AFC Wild Card game by the Baltimore Ravens.
After the 2013 season, Albert hit free agency and was aggressively pursued by the Dolphins, who gave Albert a five-year deal worth $47 million. Albert was excellent in 2014 until he went down with his aforementioned torn ACL, putting him out for the season. Many expected Albert to miss the first three weeks of this season as he recovered, but the team declared him ready to play.