Brandon Marshall Has Two Fractured Ribs, Injured Lung
By Dan Durkin-
(CBS) Bears receiver Brandon Marshall has suffered two fractured ribs and an injured lung after taking a hard hit in the first half of Thursday's 41-28 loss against the Cowboys at Soldier Field. As of Friday afternoon, Marshall was still at the hospital for the injury he suffered to his lung.
Marshall has already been ruled out for a Dec. 15 game against the New Orleans Saints, but a full horizon for his recovery won't be determined until the medical teams determine the severity of the injuries he sustained. The Bears haven't ruled Marshall out for the season, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Marshall was treated for a collapsed lung and will be out the rest of the year.
Bears coach Marc Trestman visited Marshall in the hospital after Thursday's game.
"He was in very good spirits," Trestman said. "He's got some healing to do, obviously. He'll be out for the week, certainly. And we'll see where he is as we move along. He had a smile on his face."
It was a scary moment both on and off the field for Marshall, who has proved to have a high pain threshold, playing the majority of the season with ankle injuries. Quarterback Jay Cutler has spent the majority of his professional career with Marshall and knew that it had to be serious given his teammate's reaction on the field.
"Yeah, it looked kind of (like) an innocent hit. I didn't see it that well," Cutler said in his postgame press conference Thursday. "He's a big guy and has taken a lot of crazy hits over the years. He doesn't stay down. So whenever he stays down, you know something is seriously wrong. We're all worried about him. He's our guy, and hopefully he'll get back sooner rather than later. He's in pain. We talked to him at halftime a little bit. They are still checking him out, but he was in good spirits."
On the drive Marshall was hurt, he ignited the offense with a one-handed grab for a 42-yard gain, the Bears' longest play from scrimmage in the game. Marshall was injured on a play in which he converted on a fourth-and-7 to keep the scoring drive alive.
It's been a tough year for Marshall statistically, but he will be nearly impossible to replace both on the field and in the locker room.
"You could see it last night, he lifted our football team," Trestman said. "He has special qualities. You guys know him, he's certainly one of the best communicators and charismatic guys we have on our football team. He brings life to everything that we do, certainly."