:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57392291/usa_today_10379347.0.jpg)
Yesterday afternoon, Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller was rushed to University Medical Center New Orleans to have emergency surgery on his left leg. More specifically, he was diagnosed with a torn popliteal artery.
The severity of the injury was such that doctors had to race to save his leg according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Earlier today, the Bears issued a statement on Miller's condition.
"During our game at the New Orleans Saints yesterday, TE Zach Miller sustained a serious injury to his left knee and immediate evaluation from our medical team on site rushed him to nearby University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC) for urgent vascular surgery to repair a torn popliteal artery," the Bears said in a statement.”
"Successful surgery was performed immediately on Sunday by the UMC vascular surgeons to stabilize his injury. Zach remains at UMC, along with Bears medical personnel, where he will stay under further evaluation. We are thinking of Zach and his family and support from our entire organization goes out to them."
Head coach John Fox addressed the media and provided some updates on Miller’s condition.
Fox said when they spoke on the phone earlier, Miller was in good spirits and that he wanted the team to “hang in there,” and that he “wanted his touchdown back.” As for the surgery, Fox said that Miller has “got a good pulse and good feeling in his foot, not to say he’s out of the woods but it’s as good as could be expected."
More from Fox via NFL.com.
"There's a vascular issue -- [Miller's] artery was torn during the injury. They took a vein from his good leg and repaired it. I think he's got great vascular people including our doc and training staff. [His wife and father] are with him at that hospital.”
Fox said that Miller will stay in New Orleans until he is cleared to head back to Chicago.
Miller is a popular player in the Bears locker room, and around the league for that matter. Support for him started flooding onto social media as soon as FOX-TV replayed the injury.
Fox said he's received calls from people Miller played with in Jacksonville: "He's well thought of everywhere he's ever been."
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) October 30, 2017
Coach Fox says Zach Miller was telling "us to hang in there" during phone conversation: "But that’s just him. That’s the kind of person he is and the kind of teammate he is."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 30, 2017
Chicagobears.com gathered many of the supportive Tweets sent Miller’s way and shared them right here.