The Tennessee Titans suffered brutal news following Monday night’s thrilling 34-31 win over the Buffalo Bills.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday morning that first-round rookie Caleb Farley is feared to have suffered a torn ACL, ending his season prematurely, per a source informed of the situation.
Farley will undergo an MRI to confirm, but ACL tears are generally easy to diagnose by team medical staff before further testing. The MRI would likely give a better picture of just how much damage has been done to the ligament.
Paul Kuharsky first reported the news.
The Titans later officially placed Farley on injured reserve.
“He was very emotional, but I told him rest-assured we’re gonna take care of you physically and mentally," Titans head coach Caleb Farley told reporters Tuesday, per WSMV-TV. "I’m sure he’ll be back better than ever."
It’s the latest setback for the talented cornerback. Farley suffered a torn ACL in 2017, had a back injury in 2019 that caused his draft stock to fall, didn’t play college ball in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, underwent back surgery this March, and now tore another ACL.
The multiple back surgeries caused Farley, a top-10 talent, to fall to the Titans at No. 22, who felt that he could be a steal even with the injury history. Farley was activated off the NFI list and participated in two preseason games. He mostly played special teams in Week 1. A shoulder injury before Week 2 knocked him out the next three games. He returned last week to play 22 defensive snaps, per Next Gen Stats.
With injuries aplenty in Tennessee, Farley made his first start Monday night, making two tackles. But when he exited midway through the second quarter with the knee injury, you could tell the rookie knew it was serious.
The 22-year-old will now embark on yet another rehab before his NFL career is even off the ground.