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The football journey for Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Cole Madison hit another bump in the road on Thursday.
According to coach Matt LaFleur, Madison – who missed all of last season while away dealing with a personal issue – suffered a significant knee injury during Thursday’s practice and will likely need season-ending surgery.
“My heart breaks for him, man,” LaFleur said Friday. “He works hard, and he’s getting better, and it’s just one of those bad injuries.”
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Madison tore his ACL during the practice and will miss the rest of the 2019 season.
Madison, a fifth-round pick of the Packers from Washington State, made the 53-man roster as a backup interior offensive lineman but hasn’t appeared in a game this season.
Throughout the summer, the Packers sounded optimistic about Madison’s development as a young player in a new system.
He missed his entire rookie season while working through mental health issues. The Packers reinstated him to the active roster on April 8.
Recovery from reconstructive surgery will almost certainly rob Madison of the offseason workout program and possibly a good chunk of training camp next year.
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