After 139 straight starts, outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (concussion) will miss Sunday's game against Carolina, interim head coach Bill Callahan announced Friday.
Kerrigan has been a model of durability and consistency since the Redskins drafted him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He did not miss a game over his first eight seasons, averaging about 10.5 sacks and nearly 16 quarterback hits per year. And he's been even better the past three seasons, totaling 37 sacks and 60 quarterback hits. He made the Pro Bowl in each of these campaigns as well as in 2012.
"I can't even begin to express how much he's meant to this organization, what he's contributed, what he means to this teammates and the type of pro that he is day in and day out," Callahan said of Kerrigan. "He's a consummate pro as you just watch him around the facility, in the meeting room, on the field. There's no better example of what a pro should be in the NFL than Ryan Kerrigan."
Kerrigan's ninth NFL season began slower than usual, but the Purdue product has been much more productive the past two weeks, totaling 2.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits against the New York Jets and Detroit Lions.
Kerrigan is currently tied for second on the Redskins this season with 4.5 takedowns, and he's just 2.5 sacks away from passing Dexter Manley for the most career sacks in franchise history.
In addition to Kerrigan, who suffered the concussion versus Detroit, Paul Richardson (hamstring) will also miss Sunday's game in Carolina. Running back Chris Thompson and defensive lineman Daron Payne are questionable.
The full injury report for the Week 13 matchup between the Redskins and Panthers can be found, HERE.
