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One of the biggest injuries to come out of NFL Week 3 was to Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta. The Pro Bowler missed most of the 2013 season with a hip injury, and he suffered a similar injury Sunday to that same hip.
The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson reports Pitta has been diagnosed with a dislocated right hip. Wilson also reports another fracture hasn’t been ruled out and Pitta’s status for the rest of the season will be up in the air until the full extent of the injury is known.
"A second fracture and dislocation to the same hip is relatively rare," said Dr. David Chao, a former San Diego Chargers team doctor who is an orthopedic surgical specialist, but hasn’t treated Pitta. "This is a significant trauma. It’s very concerning. It doesn’t bode well for his career. Even to do this one time is unusual, but twice is very bad.
"What may be going on is he doesn’t have enough bone back there to support the hip, which is a ball-and-socket joint. The emergency right now is making sure that he has enough blood getting to the joint. Otherwise, there’s a chance you develop avascular necrosis in the hip. That’s what ended Bo Jackson’s career."
That's a grim diagnosis of what Pitta might be suffering from. Hopefully, it isn't that serious, and he's able to return this year.
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Another player who may miss the rest of 2014 is San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead. A source tells FOX Sports' Alex Marvez that Woodhead will likely need season-ending surgery on his ankle.
It's a major loss for the Chargers, especially with Ryan Mathews expected out another 3-4 weeks with a knee injury. Donald Brown and Branden Oliver are slated to get the bulk of the RB touches now.