Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn right hip flexor muscle, the team announced Friday.
The team said Sproles originally was injured in an Oct. 6 win over the New York Jets. It was also during that game that Sproles moved into fifth place in career all-purpose yards.
Sproles, at 5-foot-6, has spent much of his career being underestimated because of his height. Fourteen running backs went ahead of him in the 2005 NFL draft before the San Diego Chargers selected him 130th overall in the fourth round. Of that group, only he and Frank Gore are still playing.
Sproles, 36, said he was motivated to return for his 15th NFL season in part so he could finish his career fifth in all-purpose yards.
He also returned to honor an agreement. His daughter made a bet with him: If she qualified for the Junior Olympics, he had to play one more year. She qualified, and Sproles obliged.
Sproles, a three-time Pro Bowler, is the only player in NFL history to record more than 30 receiving touchdowns (32) and more than 20 rushing TDs (23) in addition to at least one kickoff return touchdown (2) and at least one punt return TD (7).
ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.
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