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Linebacker Leo Chenal was carted off the field with a gruesome neck injury in the second quarter of the Commanders’ home opener against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Chenal went down with 6:38 left in the half. He flew downhill to tackle Seattle ball carrier Emmanuel Wilson and took the worst of the exchange between the two players.
The replay shows Chenal lowering his head, causing the crown of his helmet to collide with the 226-pound running back’s thigh pad.
The cart was brought out, the medical staff rushed onto the field and eventually the whole Commanders team came off the sideline to surround him as the stadium went silent.
The injury comes as a crucial blow to the Washington defense, as Chenal had three tackles, including a goal-line stop a few plays before. He got into the Commanders’ lineup after an injury to starter Frankie Luvu in Week 1.
Chenal entered this matchup coming off a career-high 12 tackles last week against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
As Chenal was being carted off, fans chanted his name.
He was able to give a fist pump as he neared the tunnel.
It’s been an eerie 24 hours in football as Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field after receiving a cheap shot while sliding against USC.
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