Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton has a sprained ACL and a Grade 2 MCL sprain. So what does that mean?
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians dubs it a “day-to-day thing,” but the diagnosis suggests he’ll be unable to play for more than a few days.
Sunday Night Football Sports Medicine Consultant Mike Ryan previously explained on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk that a Grade 2 MCL sprain likely entails some missed time. Ryan’s comments came in conjunction with the diagnosis applied to Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who missed two games with the injury.
As to Stanton’s sprained ACL, Ryan provided PFT the following info via email, based on his extensive time as an NFL athletic trainer.
“Because of the extremely important role of the ACL with football players, even a partial tear or sprain of the ligament still leaves the knee ACL deficient,” Ryan said. “With the tear, the ACL is less stable with more motion putting additional stress on the other ligaments, meniscus and articular cartilage of the knee.
“It’s like loosening up the shoelaces of a sneaker. The sneaker may not fall off but clearly the ankle will not be as stable as it was with tight laces.”
Which means that Stanton’s knee, with a looser ACL, becomes less stable and more prone to injury. Which means that it would be a surprise to see Stanton play next Sunday night against the Seahawks.
Which means that Ryan Lindley could become the first Lindley to play a significant role in prime time since Audra Lindley starred as Mrs. Roper.