Surgery Keeps Packers RB Cedric Benson on IR
Packers RB Cedric Benson underwent surgery on his foot Wednesday and will remain on season-ending injured reserve.
By Zach Kruse
Green Bay Packers running back Cedric Benson underwent surgery on his injured foot Wednesday and will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season, the team announced Thursday.
"He will not be back with us this season," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said.
Benson had been placed on the Injured Reserve with designation to return list after suffering a Lisfranc injury Oct. 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. The team held off on surgery with hopes that he could rehab the problem and play again during the 2012 season.
Benson would have been eligible to come off IR next week.
Instead, the Packers will continue to operate without the veteran running back available.
Benson, 29, rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown in five games this season. He also caught 14 passes for 97 yards.
Without Benson, the Packers will move forward with a rotation of Alex Green, James Starks and John Kuhn. Green has 302 yards on 97 carries, Starks 189 on 56 and Kuhn 55 on 16.
The Packers currently rank 23rd in the NFL in rushing, and have an NFL-low two rushing touchdowns.
Benson will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2012 season. He signed a one-year, $825,000 deal with the Packers in August.
Comments (19)
November 29, 2012 at 02:12 pm
We only freaking have TWO rushing TDs? That's pathetic :(
November 29, 2012 at 02:21 pm
How many rushes have they even attempted inside the 10? How many rushing attempts have they even had in the red-zone? I realize the rushing game feels anemic, but they've made little commitment to even trying.
They're in the bottom 1/3rd of the league in number of times they're even in the red-zone, and they prefer to pass.
November 29, 2012 at 03:28 pm
What's most important is how many total touchdowns you get and the Pack are ranked seventh with 34(31 by the offense). But yeah, just 2 rushing TD's through eleven games? Rodgers, by himself, usually ends up with 4 rushing TD's in a season. Weird.
November 29, 2012 at 02:18 pm
Um....f me?!
November 29, 2012 at 05:39 pm
You will have to buy me dinner first?
November 29, 2012 at 07:09 pm
+1
November 29, 2012 at 03:19 pm
Before people start to get blue in the face because of the 2 rushing TDs, remember that GB is one of the best red zone teams in the league . . .
November 29, 2012 at 03:28 pm
As a percentage, that's accurate, but they're also 25th in the league for number of trips into the red-zone per game:
http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/red-zone-scoring-attempts-per-game
Breaking down the 'why's' of that rank is a lengthy discussion. Goes back to the current philosophy, how it competes against how opponents choose to defend them, and time-of-possession.
November 29, 2012 at 03:25 pm
Bummer, pretty much expected it though. Packers are just gonna hafta get it done with what they have at this point.
November 29, 2012 at 03:54 pm
Does anyone know what this means, regarding the Designated to Return IR? Does this mean someone else from IR can return? I'd really appreciate an explanation; I don't quite know the ins/outs of the designation.
Also, I let it slide with these "second opinion" mistakes earlier this season. But this one...seriously, what the hell?
November 29, 2012 at 03:57 pm
Rule:
Following the cutdown to 53 players, the new Reserve/Injured rule will work as follows:
1. Only players with a “major injury” who are placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4, or thereafter during the season, will be eligible to be reactivated at a later time.
2. A “major injury” is defined as an injury that renders the player unable to practice or play football for at least six weeks (42 calendar days) from the date of injury.
3. Each team may reactivate only one player placed on Reserve/Injured after 4:00 p.m., New York time, on Tuesday, September 4. That player must be “designated for return” at the time the club places him on Reserve/Injured, and such designation shall appear on that day’s Personnel Notice.
4. Such player is eligible to return to practice if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least six weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve. He is eligible to return to the Active List if he has been on Reserve/Injured for at least eight weeks from the date he is placed on Reserve
November 29, 2012 at 04:00 pm
Also, medical staff played this perfectly. There were two options: 1) Surgery; 2) Rest and treatment
They did the only thing they could do to possibly preserve a late season for Benson, place him on the designated to return IR. Even if there were a 10% chance it would heal non-surgically it was their only play. Surgery early and he was done for the season.
Medical staff was spot on here, they missed nothing.
November 29, 2012 at 05:02 pm
Thanks for the clarification, CSS.
I get the medical staff's move, insofar as they were trying to have him come back. But why would the team use their one and only designation on a player they weren't even sure would be able to return?
November 29, 2012 at 06:12 pm
Here's one of the issues. The Pack did not have a clue what Alex Green brought to the table being hurt licking stamps (just kidding). They thought Starks was a steal and unfortunalely no one stole him. Siene was a prospect who fell in a shaft and lost for the year and Taylor should be one, a running back he wasn't.
One running back in the draft would have helped. One O linement would have helped.
Instead we have Worthless, I mean Worthy and Perilous, I mean Perry, two busts for the 2011 draft. Neither will moung to a hill of beans
November 29, 2012 at 07:32 pm
You need a refill.
November 29, 2012 at 08:22 pm
Stupid comments like this piss me off.
1. Worthy is a De a hard position to learn, he is learning a new gap.
2. Perry is learning how to play in space, everyone new he was raw, is is quick and strong enough to be worth his status. Next year they will pan out and you will sau you knew all along. Calm down
November 29, 2012 at 09:14 pm
Where's the like button for the refill comment?
November 30, 2012 at 12:51 am
Benson is not the answer anyway for the future. I would not be surprised if he plaed the last game for the Packers.
November 30, 2012 at 05:04 pm
a game we will all like to forget ...for the record.