Jamaal Charles has knee surgery for second time this season

Jamaal Charles has battled injuries throughout his career, and Monday he had his second knee-related surgery of the season.

Jamaal Charles has earned a reputation as one of the most talented, explosive running backs in the NFL, but that title has also come with an asterisk.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news that Charles had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Monday:

As Rapoport pointed out, that qualifies as Charles’ second knee surgery in the past few weeks, as he underwent a similar surgery on his right knee after briefly returning in Week 4 for the Chiefs. He had been sidelined after tearing the ACL in his right knee in Week 5 of the 2015 season against the Bears.

The injury would rear its head again in 2016, with Charles undergoing surgery to alleviate pain in the same knee after returning for three games of limited action.

Now, it has been reported that he was experiencing pain in his left knee as well, the cause for his latest arthroscopic surgery.

Charles is unlikely to return this year, and speculation that he may not return to the Chiefs at all is warranted. He is owed a $3.75 million base salary with an additional roster bonus of $3 million, a steep price to pay for the injury-prone running back turning 30 in December.

It would be an unfortunate ending to an otherwise prolific career with the Chiefs.

Knee injuries have been an unfortunate undercurrent in Charles’ otherwise stellar NFL career. After being drafted in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, Charles averaged 5.9 yards per carry in his second year while emerging as one of the elite speedsters at the running back position.

He followed that 2009 breakout season with Pro-Bowl seasons in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 with his 2010 and 2013 seasons earning him All-Pro honors.

However, the 2011 season would be noteworthy for the wrong reason: Charles tore his left ACL. It would be the first bout with knee injuries of his NFL career, but far from the last.

Despite emerging as one of the star running backs in the league, his battles with injuries would become a recurring storyline for the former track star so reliant on his speed.

Despite playing 16, 15 and 15 games in the 2012-14 seasons, injuries have again overshadowed his immense talent.

A high ankle sprain hampered his play in 2014 as he produced a pedestrian, by his standards, 1,033 yards, despite averaging five yards per carry.

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He was averaging 5.1 yards per carry in 2015 when he tore the ACL in his right knee, leading him to miss the remainder of the season as well as the beginning of the 2016 season.

It appears his ACL’s may lead to the end of his tenure as a Chiefs player, but that remains to be seen.