The Washington Redskins have lost two defensive starters for the remainder of the season.
Head coach Mike Shanahan revealed at a Monday press conference that both outside linebacker Brian Orakpo and defensive end Adam Carriker will require season-ending surgeries.
Both starters were injured during Washington's 31-28 loss Sunday at St. Louis. Orakpo exited the game with a left pectoral tear and Carriker went down with a quad tendon tear -- injuries that will both take 4-to-5 months of healing time.
Orakpo -- who has dealt with the same left pectoral injury in the past -- has played for the Redskins since being their first-round draft choice out of Texas in 2009. He has started 49 of 50 career games. All told, he has recorded 170 tackles with 29 1/2 sacks.
Carriker, who played with St. Louis from 2007-2008, came to Washington in a 2010 trade with the Rams. He has started all but one of the 34 games with the 'Skins. Last season, the sixth-year vet out of Nebraska recorded 34 tackles with 5 1/2 sacks, and for his NFL career, has 125 tackles with nine sacks.
The Redskins (1-1) take on Cincinnati next Sunday at home.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.