"It probably doesn't look too good."
That was the quote that the normally reserved Bill Belichick offered up when asked about the knee injury to Patriots safety Rodney Harrison during Monday night's 41-7 win over the Denver Broncos at Gillette Stadium.
New England's hard hitting safety and team captain went down for what may be the final time with :11 left in the third quarter with what appeared to be apparent injury to his already surgically repaired left knee. On the play Harrison went in to make a tackle against Dever quarterback Jay Cutler. As Cutler changed direction to try and avoid him Harrison tried to cut back but his left foot appeared to get caught in the turf, twisting his knee awkwardly. He would be carted off the field and you could see by the look on his face that reality began to sink in. You could almost tell by the way he acknowledged the unbelievable standing ovation he received from the crowd as he left the field that he knew his season, and career for that matter, was probably over.
After all, this is the same knee that Harrison injured back in 2005 during the third week of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he reportedly tore all three ligaments in that knee. The veteran battled and rehabbed all the way back for a return in 2006, only to see it end after injuring his right knee later that same season.
His teammates didn't make it sound any more promising. Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel met with the media after the game and offered up what almost sounded like a eulogy when asked about Harrison, which only confirmed what many fans probably are already fearing.
"To see one of our leaders and one of our captains go down, you never want to see that," Cassel told reporters after the game. "After the game everybody made their way into the training room to let him know how much we appreciate what he's done for this team and this organization."
It's unfortunate considering everything he's been through, but I would have to believe that this will probably be the end. One thing to consider is the fact that I'm sure he has plans for life after football, and considering the surgery he already endured the first time, there's no point in potentially making the rest of his life after football any more painful than it probably will be anyway. He's had a great career, and hopefully now he can enjoy spending time with his family.
We've been lucky to have a chance to watch him and can only pray for a good recovery. In the meantime we'll leave you a fun video from YouTube which also focuses on his family, and we wish him the best.
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