ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins lost yet another tight end to a season-ending injury when Derek Carrier suffered two torn ligaments in his right knee during Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, according to a source.
Carrier, who underwent an MRI on Monday morning, suffered a torn ACL and MCL, further depleting a corps that has had its share of injury issues. Both Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen suffered season-ending injuries in August.
The Redskins had already wanted to bolster this group before the injuries hit. They acquired Carrier in a trade with San Francisco after Paul and Paulsen went down, and he immediately became a contributor. In 12 games this season, Carrier, considered more of a pass-catching tight end, caught 17 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 32 snaps per game.
Jordan Reed leads the Redskins with 67 receptions, including seven for touchdowns.
Washington could opt to promote Je'Ron Hamm off the practice squad to replace Carrier. The Redskins have used tackle Tom Compton at tight end and, recently, have done the same with tackle Ty Nsekhe. But with tackles playing tight end, it limits what Washington can do out of certain packages. Inconsistent tight end blocking has been among the negative factors in the run game this season, and losing Carrier won't help matters.
