Cardinals’ WR Hollywood Brown suffered a potentially season-ending left foot injury in Sunday’s Week 6 loss to Seattle.
The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter as Arizona attempted to comeback from a 9-19 deficit. Brown ran a go route up the sideline before QB Kyler Murray threw a jump ball up to him. Seahawks’ rookie corner Tariq Woolen made a play on the ball – intercepting it – before being dragged down by Brown. Woolen landed on the top/outside of his left foot and ankle.
Immediately, it was clear Brown was in an immense amount of pain. He laid on the ground grabbing for his foot before propping himself up into an all-fours position. After a few moments, he was helped off the ground and to the sideline, heavily favoring his right side.
The early concern was that it was a high ankle sprain, however the team classified it as a foot injury after the game. Unfortunately, that could make things worse for Brown in terms of recovery, though his x-rays did come back negative for fractures.
The main concern now is that he suffered a Lisfranc injury. A Lisfranc injury occurs when there is damage to the Lisfranc midfoot joint complex. The complex itself is made up of ligaments that connect the metatarsal bones to the tarsal bones and hold them in place. It is instrumental in maintaining stability and transferring energy from the midfoot to the calf muscles when walking, jumping, or running.
These injuries are notoriously difficult to manage, especially for skill positions like wide receivers. Lisfranc injuries become very problematic when there are fractures – which we know Brown doesn’t have – or ruptures present because those often require surgery and come with a lengthy absence, often a full season. It’s worth noting he suffered a Lisfranc injury in his left foot during his final college season and he had to undergo surgery.
If Brown did suffer a Lisfranc injury, he will likely have to undergo surgery again and his season will be over. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, the Cardinals traded for WR Robbie Anderson early Monday morning, implying they expect Brown will be out for some time.
