St. Louis Rams conerback Bradley Fletcher tore his ACL in practice today. He will miss the rest of the season. The Rams have lost all of their top three cornerbacks since the start of training camp.
Fletcher injured his knee in a collusion with wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker during 1-on-1 drills in practice today. There was some hope as Fletcher said he felt like the injury was not serious, but the team was concerned as soon as it happened. After all, the Rams have plenty of experience with torn ACLs recently.
The injury was on Fletcher's right knee, the same one he hyperextended in 2009, tearing both the ACL and MCL. That doesn't bode well for his career.
Fletcher's injury comes less than a month after Ron Bartell, the Rams other starting corner, fractured a vertebrae in his neck during the season opener. That injury put Bartell on the shelf for the year, and gives him long odds for returning to the NFL. Jerome Murphy, their third corner, was injured in training camp, and ended up on injured reserve.
It's hard to overstate just how devastating Fletcher's injury is to the Rams. The secondary was already struggling without Bartell, not they'll be relying on their fourth corner, Justin King, and a veteran, Rod Hood, who tore his ACL last year.
You can expect the Rams to bring in some more guys off the street, but don't expect a miracle. Good corners don't just float around in free agency. Teams aren't exactly eager to trade them either.