With large scar on his leg, Jordan Hicks still hopes to return this season

Originally posted on FanNation Bring Me The Sports
By Jonathan Harrison | Last updated 12/7/23

Jordan Hicks holds out hope that he can return for the Vikings this season after a stint on injured reserve.

Hicks was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career when he needed an emergency operation Nov. 12 after suffering a shin injury in Minnesota's 27-19 win over the Saints. The injury swelled up and he was taken to a Twin Cities hospital where an emergency procedure to relieve pressure from the compartment syndrome was performed.

“People were coming up to me and wishing me good luck. I couldn’t tell you whose face I saw, because of how much pain I was in,” Hicks said of the moments following the injury. The Vikings linebacker has ruptured his Achilles twice in his career but said the pain was nothing like those injuries.

Jordan Hicks in the locker room told us that he’s still hoping to return this season but it’s a day to day recovery process. He also showed off about a 12 inch scar and explained that doctors told him if they hadn’t done surgery immediately he may have needed amputation
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) December 7, 2023

"After the game, it was swollen up pretty good and under the recommendation of [the medical team] we decided to get Jordan evaluated at a local hospital where he did need a procedure to address some of the complications from that direct trauma to his lower leg, to relieve some of the pressure that was in there," head coach Kevin O'Connell said the day after Hicks' injury.

The Vikings placed Hicks on injured reserve meaning the earliest possible return for the linebacker is the team's Christmas Eve home game against the Lions. Whether or not happens is an unknown.

"We're pretty optimistic about being able to come back this year," Hicks said.

The Cleveland Clinic defines compartment syndrome as "a painful condition, with muscle pressure reaching dangerous levels. Acute compartment syndrome is a medical emergency, usually caused by trauma, like a car accident or broken bone."

This article first appeared on FanNation Bring Me The Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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