The Redskins have taken another loss off the field. As first reported by Rand Getlin from NFL Network, linebacker Junior Galette has torn his achilles tendon, and will miss the rest of the season. Galette also torn his other achilles tendon last year, after signing a one year deal with the Skins. To remedy this, he once again signed another one year deal, hoping to prove his value, and get a larger contract from the Redskins due to his increased production. For both the team and Galette, this is a disaster.
For the Redskins, they team is now short handed when it comes to edge rushers. Galette was supposed to be a monster opposite Ryan Kerrigan, creating what was expected to be a two headed monster, terrorizing opposing Quarterbacks. Now they turn to second year guy, Preston Smith. Smith had a fantastic end of the season, tallying 8.5 sacks throughout his rookie season. Had Galette stayed healthy, Smith wouldn’t have been thrust into such a prominent role, and could be allowed to flourish into his own. Now he is forced to develop on the move. How will this play out for the Redskins, whose defense was ranked 28th out of 32 teams? Probably not well, but hopefully the team can perform at a better level. Truthfully, Galette has not played a single game for the Redskins, but this loss is more regarding the potential impact he could’ve created.
As for Galette, this might be it for his NFL career. Recovering from a singular achilles tear is hard enough, and it’s almost impossible to come back after tearing both consecutively. While I do not hope his career is finished, it seems unlikely that he will ever be able to return to the form he had in New Orleans. We will continue to keep you updated as this story unfolds, but right now, it looks like both the Redskins and Junior Galette are in deep deep shit.
