Former Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Allen Hurns is expected to recover in time for training camp after suffering a gruesome injury playing for the Dallas Cowboys playoff victory on Saturday night.
Hurns, who played for the Miami Hurricanes from 2010-13, suffered a dislocated left ankle and broken fibula after being tackled by Seattle’s Bradley McDougald in the first quarter following a 14-yard reception. The play will go down as one of the most gruesome injuries in NFL history.
Hurns’ injury is comparable to Joe Theismann’s leg being broken by Lawrence Taylor, Tim Krumie’s broken leg in the Super Bowl and the one suffered by Bears tight end Zach Miller last season. His recovery time is projected to be about six months per most reports.
The injury occurred on a Cowboys third-and-7 from the Dallas 26 yard line with 7:38 remaining in the opening quarter. Hurns was shown following the play with his injured left foot pointing up.
The Cowboys medical staff quickly got on the field. They mobilized Hurns’ ankle and he was rushed to an area hospital where he received surgery.
Cowboys’ WR Allen Hurns already has undergone surgery on his dislocated ankle injury that ended his season, per source. As difficult as the injury was to see, Hurns is expected to be ready to return to football by August if there no complications or anything out of the ordinary.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2019
Hurns was in his first season with the Cowboys. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville. Hurns had 20 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns this season for Dallas.
Hurns had one of the best seasons by a receiver in Miami Hurricanes history as a Senior in 2014. He set a Hurricanes school record with 1,162 yards on 62 receptions with four touchdowns.
Hurns signed a two-year contract with a team option last year. The Cowboys have until Match 13 to exercise the option. That’s the last day of the NFL Year financially. Hurns would potentially earn $4 million in salary with $2 million possible in incentives.
Dr. Mark Adickes who played six years in the NFL with the Chiefs and Redskins and is now an NFL analyst tweeted out the expected timetable for Hurns’ recovery.
Allen Hurns with left ankle fracture dislocation. So sad. Should be ready to play in 6 months. Could be ready for camp.
— Dr. Mark Adickes (@jocktodoc) January 6, 2019
Hurns’s surgery was completed by 11:00 AM central time on Sunday morning according to the NFL Network’s Jane Slater.
#Cowboys WR Allen Hurns tells me they finished surgery on his broken fibula and “I’ll be good to go by the beginning of the season” Teammate Tavon Austin told me a few guys were going to try and see him today
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 6, 2019
Slater also reported that Hurns’s Cowboys’ teammate Tavon Austin and potentially others were planning on going to visit him on Sunday. The Cowboys defeated Seattle to advance to the Division round of the playoffs.
Dallas is awaiting the winner of the Chicago-Philadelphia game early on Sunday evening to find out their next opponent. If the Bears win the Cowboys go to New Orleans if Philadelphia wins they go to Los Angeles.