Buffalo Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL in his left knee on Tuesday. The injury occurred while he was working out in Oregon.
According to the Associated Press, Alonso will need to have surgery to repair his ACL and will likely miss the 2014 season. It is unknown how Alonso suffered the injury. Alonso’s expected recovery time is seven to nine months.
"We feel badly for Kiko because he has worked very hard this offseason in preparation for the upcoming season, but we look forward to his return with his style of play that made him one of the league's outstanding rookies in 2013," Bills general manager Doug Whaley said in a statement.
Alonso being out for the season is a big loss for the Bills. Last year after being drafted in the second-round, he had 159 tackles and four interceptions, according to USA Today. He also had two fumble recoveries. The Bills were planning on moving Alonso to weakside linebacker after he had played middle linebacker.
The good news for the Bills is that there are many options for replacing Alonso. Manny Lawson has played the position in his eight years in the NFL. Brandon Spikes and Keith Rivers, who are both veterans, are also options. Nigel Bradham and rookie Preston Brown are other options to replace Alonso.