Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy football owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin appears to be okay a day after sustaining a nasty hit from New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones.
In a preseason matchup Friday night, Martin went low on a pass block and was hit directly in the head by Jones’ knee. After the game, the second year pro said that he passed all of the concussion tests and should be alright, according to the Tampa Times. “It was just a tough play,” Martin said. “Things happen.”
That’s not only a relief to fantasy football owners, but also to the team and especially head coach Greg Schiano. After the game, Schiano told the paper, ”I think Doug is going to be fine. He got hit in the head but he cleared really quickly. I saw him at halftime and he was fine. He was going to play one more play.”
Martin exceeded expectations in 2012 as a rookie when he rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was also a factor in the passing game as he caught 49 passes for 472 yards and one score. This season, Martin figures to be the cornerstone of the offense and the team is counting on him to grow even more as a complete back.
Regardless of the severity of the injury, Martin should be rested for the remainder of the preseason. For the safety and protection of his second season, the Bucs would be wise to keep him on the bench until week one. I believe Martin if he says he is fine, but just to make sure of that I think he might wind up sitting the remainder of the preseason out.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
