Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo will head for further tests on his left shoulder after he was forced from Saturday night’s game against the Bears.
Orakpo left the game in the first quarter after injuring the same shoulder he had surgically repaired this offseason. He remained on the sideline after leaving the game and didn’t have a sling on his arm as he watched the rest of the 33-31 Bears victory.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that he’ll have an MRI on that shoulder on Sunday. Per Schefter, the Redskins aren’t overly concerned about the severity of the injury. Coach Mike Shanahan isn’t scheduled to meet with the media until Monday, which might mean the next update on Orakpo’s status will have to wait a little bit. We’ll also be watching for more details about the condition of safety Brandon Meriweather, who hurt his knee in the first half on Saturday.
Given Orakpo’s history, the precaution makes sense especially since the rest of the Redskins starting defense struggled while matched up against the starters from Chicago. The Redskins downplayed the struggles as the byproduct of a lack of game planning for the Bears, but a healthy Orakpo is still something they’ll need moving forward.