NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Stafon Johnson has a game ball from his NFL debut. He also has had his dislocated right ankle repaired, but Titans coach Jeff Fisher isn’t ready to call the rookie’s season over just yet.
Johnson is the running back whose senior season at Southern California ended in September when a barbell crushed his neck and larynx, leaving him to learn how to talk again and trying to play his way into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
In Tennessee’s loss to the Seahawks on Friday night, Johnson was hit high and spun around by Seattle’s Kam Chancellor after a short reception on the final play of the third quarter. He then landed hard on his right leg.
Before Sunday’s surgery, Johnson promised he would be back better than before. Fisher said a couple of hours later that the doctors “got it all put back together.”
The coach was hesitant to share the extent of Johnson’s injury but said he also broke his fibula. Asked if the injury means Johnson’s season would be ended by the Titans placing him on injured reserve, Fisher said that was hard to say.
“This could be eight to 12 weeks,” Fisher said. “We just don’t know.”
Burgess joins Patriots in practice
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots’ once- muddled linebacking situation is starting to clear after Derrick Burgess was reinstated Friday to the active roster from the reserve-did not report list after being missing since the start of training camp.
After passing a physical and conditioning test, he practiced for the first time with the team Sunday.
Veteran receiver Torry Holt, signed as a free agent in April, was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, while rookie defensive back Ross Ventrone of Villanova was waived.
Surgery for Texans’ Tate
HOUSTON — Texans rookie running back Ben Tate will need surgery after suffering a severe ankle injury in Saturday’s preseason opener in Arizona.
The 5-foot-11, 211-pound Tate was hurt in the third quarter of the Texans’ 19-16 loss to the Cardinals. Tate, the Texans’ second-round draft pick out of Auburn, had only two carries for 7 yards before he was carted off the field.
Footnotes.
Eagles center Jamaal Jackson and guard Todd Herremans were taken off the physically unable to perform list as the team returned to practice.
• Saints coach Sean Payton said the team is looking for a replacement for running back Lynell Hamilton, who suffered a torn ACL on Wednesday in a joint practice with the Patriots.
The Associated Press
