After signing Carson Palmer to a three-year, $50 million extension, the Arizona Cardinals fear the quarterback tore his ACL on Sunday. In similar fashion, Miami Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert suffered a knee injury early on Sunday and is believed to be lost for the season.
Following the Cardinals' victory over the Rams, head coach Bruce Arians said the team was unaware of the status of Palmer's injury and that he would have to undergo more tests. Unfortunately, multiple reports surfaced on Monday that believe Palmer suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. The veteran quarterback was sacked by Rams safety Mark Barron in the fourth quarter. Barron hit Palmer, but the quarterback didn't immediately go down. He escaped the pressure, but fell to the ground when he stepped up in the pocket.
He remained on the ground after the play and the Cardinals' medical staff ran out to the field to check on him. Palmer was able to get up on his feet, but he stumbled and needed assistance after he began to walk. He was then carted off the field and now the team fears their recent investment will miss the remainder of the season. The contract Palmer signed on Friday guaranteed him $20.5 million. Although the Cardinals are 8-1, it looks like they'll move forward with Drew Stanton at quarterback, which significantly hurts their ability to make a deep playoff run.
The Miami Dolphins believe they lost a star player on the offensive side of the ball as well. Left tackle Branden Albert appeared to have suffered a serious knee injury during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. It's not yet known what the exact injury is, but the Miami Herald reported that several of Albert's teammates noted that his knee injury will require surgery and he'll miss the rest of the season.
On top of losing Albert, the Dolphins fell to the Lions in the final seconds of the game after leading 16-13 late in the fourth quarter. Matthew Stafford hit running back Theo Riddick in the end zone with 29 seconds remaining to take a 20-16 lead and preserve the win. Miami fell to 5-4 and it appears they'll be without quarterback Ryan Tannehill's blindside protection for the rest of the year. The team heavily invested in Albert with a five-year, $47 million contract with $25 million guaranteed in the offseason.
Another one of the NFL's star players has a bit of a murky injury status. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis has been dealing with a toe injury and has been out since October 13. FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that Willis could miss "significant time," but that's already been the case since he's missed nearly a month. He was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, but he didn't practice all week.
If he continues to miss time, the 49ers will have missed a number of their stars for a majority of their games this season. Inside linebacker Navarro Bowman and outside linebacker Aldon Smith have yet to play a game this season, which has likely affected the 49ers ability to play to their full potential. At 5-4, they're currently in third place in the NFC West.
Check out ESPN's Injury Wire for the latest news.
UPDATE: Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians says Palmer has a torn ACL and will be placed on injured reserve. Dolphins will do the same with Albert, who suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee.