The Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller has undergone emergency surgery to save his left leg after suffering a severe injury during his team’s loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Miller dislocated his knee during the third quarter and vascular surgeons were called in to repair damage to an artery. They also grafted tissue from his right leg to help with the injury.
Chicago Bears
(@ChicagoBears)Update from the Chicago Bears on status of TE Zach Miller. pic.twitter.com/zJUf9W8Hh3
The 33-year-old is at the University Medical Center New Orleans and the Bears released a statement on Monday afternoon saying he will remain under observation at the hospital for the time being. At his Monday press conference, the Bears head coach, John Fox, gave an update on Miller’s condition. “He’s got a good pulse and good feeling in his foot, not to say he’s out of the woods but it’s as good as could be expected,” said Fox. He added that he had spoken to Miller on the phone and the player had told the team to “hang in there”. Fox added: “That’s just him. That’s the kind of person he is and the kind of team-mate he is.”
Miller landed awkwardly as he leapt to catch a pass in the endzone – photos from the game showed his left leg bent at a gruesome angle as he landed.
“I didn’t watch it after I saw it the first time,” said Bears guard Kyle Long after the game. “To go from the elation of, ‘What a play, what a throw!’ in that situation of the game … and Zach obviously being injured … it’s really unfortunate. We lost a really good guy today.”
Miller started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and joined the Bears in 2014. This season had been one of the best of his career, and he had caught two touchdowns for 236 yards before Sunday’s injury.