It was known almost immediately when the injury happened that Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson would need surgery to repair his broken right leg, but the timetable for his return had been up in the air as the team only announced that he'd miss the rest of the regular season.
It seems that the news is worse than anticipated, unfortunately, as the Detroit Free Press has indicated that Burlesonmight be out for the next eight months for the injury and rehabilitation process.
Burleson injured his leg early in the second half of Monday night's game when he was tackled from behind by Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings. Jennings quickly caught him from behind, however, and Burleson crumbled awkwardly to the ground following the tackle. The wide receiver was on his feet shortly thereafter and hopped around on his left leg for a bit, but unfortunately went back to the ground once he decided his leg wasn't going to be able to handle any added pressure.
Burleson's season ended with 26 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
This story originally appeared at SB Nation.