Top NFL Draft prospect Abdul Carter's foot injury and what it could mean for NFL future

Top NFL Draft imaginable Abdul Carter was revealed to person a accent absorption successful his close ft during investigating astatine the NFL harvester successful February.

A accent absorption is an aboriginal motion of a bony accent wounded and tin crook into a accent fracture if not treated properly.

Carter, 21, had a aesculapian recheck successful Indianapolis past week that showed the accent absorption is healing, and nary country volition beryllium needed, per ESPN. 

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Penn State antiaircraft lineman Abdul Carter during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine astatine the Indiana Convention Center connected Feb. 27, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

"It should beryllium a non-factor with the teams astatine this point," Carter’s cause Drew Rosenhaus said via ESPN. 

Dr. Erica Urquhart, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, spoke to Fox News Digital astir accent fractures and what they mean for athletes. Urquhart said that, generally, accent fractures are caused by overuse.

"The overuse is related to repetitive enactment oregon activities that make significant, again utilizing the word, accent connected a localized country of the assemblage could past effect successful a accent fracture," Urquhart said. 

Urquhart said that accent fractures and an "incomplete fracture" of the bony that initially are treated with rest. 

"We would promote rest, immobilization to let the assemblage to heal itself," Urquhart said.

The immobilization could travel successful the signifier of a formed oregon brace.

NFL DRAFT PROSPECT ABDUL CARTER DISHES ON HIS FAVORITE ACTIVE PLAYER

Notre Dame Fighting Irish backmost Riley Leonard, #13, runs the shot pressured by Penn State Nittany Lions antiaircraft extremity Abdul Carter, #11, during the 2nd fractional of the Orange Bowl astatine Hard Rock Stadium connected Jan. 9, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

"Generally speaking, we immobilize that area, and we make a discourse artificially wherever that country tin beryllium rested done casting oregon done bracing," Urquhart said. 

Urquhart said mostly the betterment clip for remainder is simply a substance of weeks, and is mostly six to 8 weeks. However, if a accent fracture is not afloat healed, past the jock could necessitate surgery. 

"For a shot player, accent fractures tin surely re-occur and depending connected however they’ve been treated. So if we are looking astatine a concern wherever an jock was diagnosed with a fracture, they were treated with remainder and immobilization and past the radiographic subject of that fracture has receded oregon regressed past fundamentally we could accidental that potentially, we are starting from a baseline," Urquhart said. 

"However, if determination proceed to beryllium radiographic signs oregon adjacent objective signs of injury, past we person not returned to baseline and if that jock were to resume the activities that precipitated the wounded initially, then, of course, we mightiness look astatine that arsenic a re-injury, but it’s a truly a continuum of having an wounded that hasn’t been afloat healed."

The betterment clip from country is six to 8 weeks, but Urquhart said due to the fact that the ft is simply a full-weight-bearing bone, that six to 8 weeks is not a definitive timeline. Surgery besides does not preclude an jock from aboriginal wounded to the bone.

"Surgical attraction is surely much definitive attraction and successful a young steadfast idiosyncratic 1 would expect that the betterment would beryllium full, but the demands of athletics surely marque that treatment successful athletes a small much complicated," Urquhart said. 

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Penn State Nittany Lions antiaircraft extremity Abdul Carter, #11, celebrates with the Heisman airs aft defeating the Boise State Broncos successful the Fiesta Bowl astatine State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Carter was the Big Ten’s apical antiaircraft subordinate successful 2024 with 68 tackles, 23.5 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 12 sacks past play for Penn State. In his career, Carter has 39.5 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and 14 passes defended.

For immoderate squad selects the Penn State star, they anticipation the accent absorption is afloat healed and not thing that turns into a recurring contented that would unit him to miss games travel the fall.

Carter and Heisman Trophy victor Travis Hunter are wide considered to beryllium the apical 2 prospects successful the 2025 NFL Draft and could descent successful arsenic a starter and marque an contiguous interaction connected time one. 

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