Minnesota Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholt likely Womens Walt Aikens Jersey has a torn Achilles tendon on his left foot, an injury that could knock him out for the entire season.
''We think it's a torn Achilles. It's not 100 percent sure yet, but we're pretty sure,'' coach Mike Zimmer said.
Loadholt will have an MRI test on Sunday.
''It's disappointing for Phil, because he worked so hard and because he's a great person,'' Zimmer said.
Loadholt has been the starter since he was drafted http://www.officialdolphinsnflstore.com/reshad-jones-jersey_c-412.html, playing in 89 of a possible 96 games over the first six years of his career. Five of those seven missed games came last season, because of a torn pectoral muscle.
Rookie T.J. Clemmings, who slipped to the third round of the draft but was lauded as a top-50 talent, replaced Loadholt in the lineup. Mike Harris, who replaced Loadholt at right tackle after his injury last year, is currently the starting right guard.
"I am just going to keep doing what I have been doing," he said after the game. "My mindset is to work hard and keep working on my craft every single day. My focus, regardless of the situation, is to work hard, improve on what I need to and take in as munch information from the veterans as I can."
Center John Sullivan, one of the leaders of the Vikings' line, turned down a request by Shutdown Corner to discuss Loadholt's loss. But he did praise Clemmings.
Zimmer added that, without having watched the tape, Clemmings played well and the pass protection was strong in this game. Asked if there was another option other than Clemmings at right tackle, Zimmer seemed to stand behind his rookie.
"I think Clemmings did a good job, so we'll see," he said. "We draft these guys to get them in here and play."
"He's a rookie offensive lineman, but he works hard and has improved drastically from Day 1 to where we are now," Sullivan said. "We don't make any choices on what's going to happen there, but we'll see. He's coming along."
When Phil Loadholt limped off the field in the first quarter on Saturday night, Minnesota Vikings fans started going through all the lists of available free agents and trades their team could make to fill the 6-foot-8, 345-pound hole at right tackle created by his injury.
A day after an MRI confirmed what the Vikings feared after walking out of the stadium, offensive coordinator Norv Turner indicated that no big changes were afoot.
Loadholt will miss the season with a torn left Achilles tendon, and Turner said rookie T.J. Clemmings would slide in to replace the veteran in the starting lineup.
Turner did not rule out other moves later in the preseason, but for now the Vikings appear to be moving forward with the fourth-round draft pick as their preferred option.
''He's a young player with a bright Youth Peyton Manning Jersey future and he's going to have to step it up,'' Turner said of Clemmings before practice on Monday.
Loadholt has been a steady presence on the Vikings offensive line for the past six seasons. He's been a starter since he entered the league as a second-round pick out of Oklahoma and was coming back this season after missing the final five games of last season with a torn pectoral muscle.
With Loadholt and left tackle Matt Kalil returning to full health after injury-filled seasons last year, the Vikings hoped the offensive line was in position to perform much better than the unit that struggled in 2014.
They moved right guard Brandon Fusco to left guard to replace the departed Charlie Johnson and slid right tackle Mike Harris to right guard in the revamped unit.
One of the speculative scenarios first introduced in the wake of Loadholt's injury was for the Vikings to bring in free agent Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis and move Harris back out to right tackle.
But Turner said the team has been pleased with the way both Fusco and Harris have performed in their new positions through the first two preseason games, indicating a reluctance to do such major shuffling with the Week 1 opener at San Francisco three weeks away.
''I'm sure we're going to look at all the different options http://www.bengalsonlineofficialstore.com/Paul-Dawson-Jersey that are there, but if T.J. plays like he did Saturday night and like he did in that first game and keeps growing as a player and continues to play well out here, he should be able to be a very competitive player in this league,'' Turner said.