Categories: General News Injuries
| On 9 years ago

Report: Vikings RT Phil Loadholt Suffers Torn Achilles

By Austin Belisle

Image courtesy of Vikings.com

Injuries affect football teams every day, but some are more devastating than others. And on this fateful August night, none are more brutal to the Minnesota Vikings than the loss of Phil Loadholt.

According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Phil Loadholt suffered a torn achilles early in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will miss the rest of the 2015 season.

Loadholt was blocking on a routine play, when his legs appeared to buckle and he collapsed to the ground on the Vikings’ second offensive play of the night. According to reports from A.J. Mansour on Twitter, Loadholt was “visibly upset” on the sideline and seen “head down with a towel covering his head” before being carted to the locker room.

From the start, the injury appeared serious, and those watching feared the worst for a player who missed the final five games of the 2014 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Loadholt, a 2nd-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, was cleared to practice at the start of training camp, and all signs from Mankato pointed to a return-to-form for Loadholt.

The injury vaults rookie right tackle T.J. Clemmings into the starting lineup, and the fourth-round draft pick will be asked to prove his value much earlier than many had anticipated. Clemmings was considered a “steal” when injury concerns dropped him to the Vikings with the No. 110 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and will now have a chance to live up to his first-round talent come Week One.

Get well soon, Phil.

Austin Belisle

Austin Belisle is the West Coast's biggest Vikings fan, a football diehard cheering on the purple and yellow from sunny California. After graduating from San Jose State University in 2014, he began working full-time in corporate marketing and blogging on various sports websites. Austin's passion for the Vikings led him to Vikings Territory, where he hopes to share his lifelong enthusiasm for the team with readers on a daily basis. You can follow him on Twitter @austincbelisle

Tags: phil loadholt T.J. Clemmings

View Comments

    • He didn't play — he's been battling a leg injury the past few weeks. Need his depth now more than ever.

  • I think this is the worst preseason injury we've had since Greenways rookie year. I feel terrible for Loadholt. There is a good chance that will end his career with the Vikings.

  • Not to make light of his injury but isn't it kind of ironic the guy with injury concerns gets to start because of an injury...

  • We drafted alot of depth, opportunities now for the likes of Thomas, Yankey, Clemmings, Sheppard et all. One man gathers what another man spills--- see your future, be your future gentleman . Can you say La'el Collins?