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Bucs' Garner Out for Year With Torn Patellar Tendon
The wincing continues for coach Jon Gruden.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed Monday that running back Charlie Garner will miss the rest of the season with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
It is the latest setback for the Bucs, who are off to an 0-3 start and already without receivers Keenan McCardell, Joey Galloway and Joe Jurevicius.
"We're all dejected, we're all down. Obviously, we've had our share of injuries," said Gruden while making another of his famous facial contortions at a media conference Monday.
Garner twisted the knee while running to his right in the first quarter of Tampa Bay's 30-20 loss at Oakland on Monday night. He was carted off the field and an MRI revealed the torn patellar tendon.
At least the Buccaneers will welcome back running back Michael Pittman, who was suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the season for a domestic abuse conviction last year.
"We had looked forward to starting him (Pittman) and Charlie in the same backfield together, but that won't be the case this year," Gruden said.
Garner, 32, had averaged over 1,700 combined yards rushing and receiving from 1999-2002 with San Francisco and Oakland. But last year, he was hampered by a left knee injury and rushed for 553 yards and caught 48 passes for 386 yards in 14 games last season.
Gruden coached Garner in Oakland in 2001 and signed him as a free agent with the Buccaneers last March.
But the 2004 season has been a disaster for the Bucs. McCardell, the team's leading receiver last season, has yet to report due a contract dispute, Galloway suffered a groin injury in the season opener and is expected to miss another six weeks and Jurevicius underwent back surgery in the preseason.
Also, the Bucs lost backup tight end Rickey Dudley for an indefinite period due to a broken right thumb. Dudley suffered the injury in the loss at Oakland.
Source: AP
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed Monday that running back Charlie Garner will miss the rest of the season with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
It is the latest setback for the Bucs, who are off to an 0-3 start and already without receivers Keenan McCardell, Joey Galloway and Joe Jurevicius.
"We're all dejected, we're all down. Obviously, we've had our share of injuries," said Gruden while making another of his famous facial contortions at a media conference Monday.
Garner twisted the knee while running to his right in the first quarter of Tampa Bay's 30-20 loss at Oakland on Monday night. He was carted off the field and an MRI revealed the torn patellar tendon.
At least the Buccaneers will welcome back running back Michael Pittman, who was suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the season for a domestic abuse conviction last year.
"We had looked forward to starting him (Pittman) and Charlie in the same backfield together, but that won't be the case this year," Gruden said.
Garner, 32, had averaged over 1,700 combined yards rushing and receiving from 1999-2002 with San Francisco and Oakland. But last year, he was hampered by a left knee injury and rushed for 553 yards and caught 48 passes for 386 yards in 14 games last season.
Gruden coached Garner in Oakland in 2001 and signed him as a free agent with the Buccaneers last March.
But the 2004 season has been a disaster for the Bucs. McCardell, the team's leading receiver last season, has yet to report due a contract dispute, Galloway suffered a groin injury in the season opener and is expected to miss another six weeks and Jurevicius underwent back surgery in the preseason.
Also, the Bucs lost backup tight end Rickey Dudley for an indefinite period due to a broken right thumb. Dudley suffered the injury in the loss at Oakland.
Source: AP