"It was difficult for all of us to watch Rodney get carted off like he did," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. "We hope that goes well for him."
The 35-year-old Harrison, who signed with the Patriots in 2003 after he was released by the San Diego Chargers and was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams in New England, is looking at a long and arduous rehabilitation, and he may elect to simply hang it up rather than try to return from yet another injury.
Harrison blew out his left knee in the third game of the 2005 season. He came back in 2006 only to miss six games with a broken shoulder blade, then suffered a sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the 2006 season finale that sidelined him for the playoffs.
The loss of Harrison, a two-time Pro Bowler and the NFL's all-time leader in sacks by a safety with 30.5, is another blow to a team that already has lost franchise quarterback Tom Brady for the season to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee and shelved starting running back Laurence Maroney for the season with a shoulder injury.
"Rodney is one of the best safeties to ever play the game, and to see one of our leaders and one of our captains go down, you never want to see that," said quarterback Matt Cassel. "After the game, everybody made their way into the training room to let him know how much we appreciate what he's done for this team and organization.
"I don't know what the injury is, but we all hope for the best and God willing he'll be out there again."
As of yesterday, the Patriots had yet to place Harrison on injured reserve, but when they do, they will have to figure out how to replace him.
Without Harrison, the only safety in NFL history to accumulate 30-plus sacks and 30-plus interceptions (34), the Patriots will have to find a new starter opposite James Sanders. The top option appears to be second-year safety Brandon Meriweather, who has been a regular in nickel situations. Meriweather leads the team in interceptions, recording his third in the win over the Broncos.
