The expectation is Washington Football Team running back Bryce Love will remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the 2020 season, according ESPN’s John Keim.
Washington placed Love on injured reserve in October after experiencing swelling in his surgically repaired knee. He returned to practice on Nov. 11. He unfortunately suffered another setback after a handful of practices and hasn’t practiced since.
Washington’s 21-day window expires Wednesday to decide whether to return him to the active roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.
Washington selected Love in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. However, he has yet to play in an NFL game. He has struggled to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in his final collegiate game while playing at Stanford in December of 2018. The injury was a huge factor in the 2017 Heisman Trophy runner-up sliding to Day 3 of the draft.
Love was placed on the non-football injury list ahead of his rookie season in 2019. He underwent an additional surgical procedure on the injured knee in October 2019. After rehab, Love was able to participate in training camp this year, making the initial 53-man roster.
The expectation was to gradually ease him into action. Yet, after being inactive the first three games of the season, he landed on IR.
His future with the team remains a mystery. With Love unable to get on the field, Washington drafted a third-round gem this year in Antonio Gibson. Gibson, who played primarily as a wide receiver in college, has blossomed into arguably the best rookie running back in the league. Gibson has 11 rushing touchdowns through 11 games. He currently appears to be the featured running back of the future for Washington moving forward.
