National Football League

Chiefs' CB Leggett appears OK following neck injury

Published Aug. 23, 2010 11:03 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said Monday follow-up examinations of injured defensive back Maurice Leggett have been encouraging and that the third-year player could return to the field soon.

“Everything is positive that I have heard and should not affect him career-wise,” Haley said Monday following the team’s afternoon practice. “There’s nothing spinal related.

“Trainers and doctors do everything they can do as far as taking precautions.”

Leggett sustained a neck injury late in the third quarter of Saturday’s 20-15 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when his head jerked backward as he attempted to tackle Bucs running back Kareem Huggins.

The Chiefs training staff tended to Leggett for about 10 minutes, placing him on a backboard and lifting him onto a cart as players from both teams gathered around. Some appeared to join each other in prayer.

An undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, Leggett has been both a nickel cornerback and a safety for the Chiefs. Teammates were shaken by his injury; the Buccaneers scored 10 points in fewer than nine minutes after Leggett left the field.

“It takes an extreme amount of focus to try to keep your mind,” Haley said Saturday night after the game. “All these guys care about each other. We’re becoming a family and a pretty tight-knit group, it appears to me. It’s only natural to worry about one of your teammates.”

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League