His foot turned one way; his leg turned another. So, too, did his stomach. And as Jon Jansen left the field Sunday, he already knew the worst. His season had taken an equally unfortunate turn as well.
Doctors confirmed Monday that Jansen broke his fibula and dislocated his right ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s 16-13 overtime win against Miami. He’ll undergo surgery either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning and faces three to four months of rehab. He’ll likely be placed on injured reserve after the surgery.
“You wake up and you’re hoping it was a nightmare and it’s not,” Jansen said. “It’s a sinking feeling; there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve just got to start to get ready for next year.
“I really felt this would be a big year for the team and for me. I was in great shape. I was as ready as I’ve ever been. … It’s just frustrating.”
Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels said, “He’s a leader. He does a good job keeping everyone’s morale up. I felt bad for him.”
He’ll have a plate and pin inserted into his ankle. He’ll be in a cast for six weeks and by three to four months Jansen said he’ll be able to resume normal training. Jansen said there’s some ligament damage, but doctors told him that he shouldn’t have lingering issues once rehab is finished.
Jansen got knocked from behind by blitzing linebacker Zach Thomas, who had just sacked quarterback Jason Campbell and rolled to the ground, into the back of Jansen’s legs.
“I felt three or four pops and then instant pain,” he said. “I looked down and saw it sticking sideways. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to fix. … It was a little less painful after they reset it on the field.”
Jansen started every game in his first five seasons in Washington. But he missed 2004 with an Achilles tear in his left foot. A year later he broke both his thumbs, but played every game. He missed only one game last year.
“If they got tired of me and the injuries I’ve had,” Jansen said, “I’m sure there’d be someone who needs a right tackle. But they’ve been nothing but supportive. Coach Gibbs and [owner Dan Snyder] said I’ll be back and don’t worry, just get better. I’m not worried about that.
“I’m hoping what happens next is that I have a healthy year and put four or five more healthy years together and have some great seasons left.”
