A new set of Pro Bowl games fell short of their goal on Sunday to aim to keep players safe.
Myles Garrett suffered a toe injury while climbing walls during an obstacle course relay. Brown confirmed the injury on Sunday. Luckily for Cleveland’s four-time Pro Bowler, he avoided the worst.
NFL Network Ian Rapoport reported The toe was back in place on Tuesday and Garrett will not need surgery. His recovery is expected to take less time.
Garrett suffered the injury while participating in a relay event called the Gridiron Gauntlet. Players compete by breaking walls, climbing walls, racing through tires, and pushing sleds. Garrett was tasked with the wall-climb leg of the AFC, which included crawling under tables.
Garrett injured his toe while landing after climbing the wall. After the incident, he walked with a pronounced limp and had to sit on the turf before leaving the field.
Fortunately, it is not as dire as it initially appears.
The NFL did a great job removing football collisions from its All-Star Weekend equation. But it’s hard to completely eliminate the risk of injury when running and jumping are involved. Here’s guessing the NFL will take a closer look at the wall climbing competition for next season.