Hroniss Grasu, who was scheduled to be the Chicago Bears’ starting center this season, sustained a knee injury Saturday that “looked fairly serious,” according to coach John Fox.
Grasu fell to the ground without being touched during Saturday’s practice. He grabbed at his right knee before being placed on the trainer’s cart and taken off the field.
“I don’t know the extent of it,” Fox said after practice. “It looked fairly serious, but we won’t really know until the medical people look at it.”
Fox said Grasu, a second-year player, was injured while changing direction to set up a screen pass to Jacquizz Rodgers.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that he was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday night.
“I’m not gonna concede the fact that he’s gone now,” Fox said. “He was injured, and until the medical people look at it, I won’t know the extent.”
It is unclear who would be the Bears’ starting center if Grasu is sidelined for a prolonged period.
Veteran Ted Larsen has started 10 career games at center and could be the next in line. Rookie guard Cody Whitehair has practiced some at the center position. Cornelius Edison is listed as the team’s second-string center, but he has never played an NFL game.