Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Phil Loadholt suffered a torn Achilles in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
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Clemmings replaced Loadholt at right tackle, and now he is the favorite to start at the position during the regular season for the Minnesota Vikings.
Per Zac Jackson of ProFootballTalk, “a sideline report on the broadcast by former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said Loadholt was helped onto a cart with tears in his eyes as trainers worked on his left foot or ankle”.
Due to the fact that the game is still ongoing, Loadholt can not be placed on the injured reserve.
The Vikings’ top priority in 2015 is better protecting second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and suddenly their offensive line has a major issue on the right flank. That’s incredibly disappointing, as Loadholt had developed into one of the premiere right tackles in the league. “We draft these guys to get them in here and play”. He missed the final five games of the 2014 season after tearing a pectoral muscle and missed most of the offseason training activities while rehabbing. The Phil Loadholt injury doesn’t look good.
“I am just going to keep doing what I have been doing”, he said after the game.
Adding to the Vikings’ offensive line stress, second-team left tackle Carter Bykowski suffered a game-ending shoulder injury in the third quarter.
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Still, Clemmings is a solid player and he should be a great right tackle at the NFL level.
