Cecil Shorts may have fractured rib near sternum

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts III (84) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis (23) during the second half of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars key WR Cecil Shorts left yesterday afternoon’s game against the Denver Broncos with what seemed to be a sprained shoulder. Shorts left the game very early on, and he was ruled out for the rest of the contest after being initially deemed as questionable to return. There were rumors that Cecil Shorts could have separated his shoulder, and he reportedly had his arm in a sling. The situation with Shorts’s injury is extremely fluid, because it is possible that he misses a significant amount of time.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports, citing a source, that Jaguars are concerned that Cecil Shorts fractured a rib near his sternum, and it sounds like he will have a CT scan this morning in order to see how severe the injury is. It’s bad news for Jaguars fans and fantasy owners, because Shorts’s injury is more complicated than just a shoulder injury.

After today’s test, I think we’ll learn whether or not Shorts separated or simply sprained his shoulder, and we’ll also know the status of Shorts’s apparent rib injury. If he did suffer a severe injury, then it’s going to be the Chad Henne and Justin Blackmon show in Jacksonville for the next few weeks. Shorts has enjoyed a very good season thus far with 31 receptions for 411 yards, but he left yesterday’s game too early to add to his total.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe. Be sure to like us on Facebook here and follow our site on Twitter as well.