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Sean Porter is clearly Cincinnati's hard luck story right now. A former fourth round pick during the 2013 NFL draft, Porter suffered a season-ending torn labrum only days after training camp started last year. His rookie season was scratched and the second-year standout from Texas A&M was looking forward to 2014.
Instead the injuries keep coming. He suffered a knee injury that impacted training camp and two preseason games. A hamstring injury during the preseason finale put him on the shelf through the first three games of the season.
"I wanted to really be able to prove to my teammates that I'm a good player, and that I can go out there and help contribute," Porter said in early September, after the hamstring injury. "I was a little disappointed I couldn't finish that game. I've just got a run of bad luck. I guess it just happens and at some point it'll even out."
Porter, finally healthy, was active on Sunday Night against the New England Patriots. Cincinnati kicked off to New England and after the Patriots took a knee, Porter hobbled back to the sidelines with what's being described as a "non-contact injury."
He was hurt. Declared out. Possible knee injury. Now his season is in question.
According to Bengals.com beat writer Geoff Hobson, Porter may have suffered an ACL injury. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis didn't "elaborate" nor offer an update, which ironically hints toward a significant issue.
Lewis says no update on Porter and won't elaborate. But word is it is ACL injury
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) October 6, 2014
Porter was sporting a pair of crutches and a "full-length cast" in the lockerroom on Monday afternoon.
The Bengals have favored Porter since the beginning, willing to give him as many shots as it takes, with the idea that they'll be rewarded in the end.
"With Sean, I think the combination of the time he's had in practice, and the vision we had for him from the beginning," Lewis said when asked about why Porter made the squad. "We've got to give him every opportunity. He's had some injuries that are difficult to overcome. It's not due to a lack of anything, it's just part of playing football."
Generically speaking... not hinting anything here... Cincinnati officially announces season-ending injuries on Monday afternoons, but sometimes, for less popular players, it bleeds into Tuesday, so the move can correspond with a signing, which usually comes after a workout, which usually happens on Tuesday.