CINCINNATI – As the son of two orthopedic surgeons, Ryan Glasgow knew the news was bad before Bengals trainer Paul Sparling got to him as he lay writhing on the Bank of American Stadium turf Sunday in Charlotte.
“I just felt a pop and a burn and I knew it wasn’t good,” Glasgow said. “The first thing I said to Paul when he came over was, ‘I know I tore something in my knee.’ It just didn’t feel good, so I knew my season was probably done at that point.”
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An MRI confirmed a season-ending ACL tear, which means Glasgow has a long rehab ahead of him. It’s a process he knows well after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle while he was playing for the University of Michigan and growing up in a medical family. His father, Steven, and mother, Michelle, work for the Midwest Orthopaedic Institute in DeKalb, Illinois.
“They’re good people to go to for advice,” Glasgow said. “Who knows, my dad might do my surgery. My mom did my pec, so seamless recovery on that one. Shout out to her.”
Glasgow was able to joke after having 24 hours to process the injury, but he said it was devastating when it happened.
“My mom was at the game. She was pretty broken up, as was I,” Glasgow said. “My dad was watching (on television) and he (texted), ‘Text me. You probably tore your ACL.”
Steve was in Detroit to watch Glasgow’s older brother, Graham, lead the Lions to an upset of the Patriots on Sunday Night Football.
Ryan Glasgow, a 2017 fourth-round pick, played 36 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie. His playing time and production had increased sharply this year.
Glasgow went into Sunday’s game with seven tackles, which was second on the team to Geno Atkins’ nine. He recorded four more against the Panthers and was trying to make a fifth when the injury occurred with 6:48 left in the game.
“I was just playing a reach block, basically tried to plant to throw back where (Panthers running back Christian) McCaffrey was going to cut, and my foot got stuck in the ground,” Glasgow said. “It’s tough. I thought I was playing a lot better than last year. I thought I took a bunch of positive steps as a player, but there’s not much you can do about it. It happens. Occupational hazard. It’s just part of the job.”
Glasgow said he needs to wait for the swelling to go down before he schedules his surgery. He also said he’ll consult with his agent, the team trainers and, of course, his parents before deciding what to do.
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While slowly walking across the locker room Monday with the aid of crutches, Glasgow stopped to chat with left guard Clint Boling, who tore his ACL in 2013.
“I was just asking about the process of getting it done here besides somewhere else,” Glasgow said. “Just trying to weigh my options at this point.”
Carolina receiver Devin Funchess, who was in the same recruiting class with him at the University of Michigan, knelt beside Glasgow as the trainers were tending to him, and offered words of encouragement.
“He said keep my head up,” Glasgow said. “Just quick stuff, but it really meant a lot.”
Glasgow tried to wave off the cart when it came for him.
“That was kind of the rationalization process right there,” he said. “I was just trying to convince myself I dislocated a kneecap or something. So, I was telling them to go away.”
Glasgow’s injury further depletes a defensive line that was without Michael Johnson on Sunday after he suffered a knee injury early in the 34-23 victory against the Ravens on Sept. 13.
Johnson made the trip to Charlotte and was listed as questionable, but he was inactive along with the other injured starters – running back Joe Mixon and center Billy Price.
Defensive tackle Josh Tupou made his season debut with Johnson out.
The second-year defensive tackle from Colorado was getting reps even before Glasgow went down, and his role should continue to grow even after Johnson returns to the lineup.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said he was encouraged by the way Tupou played.
“I thought Josh played well,” Austin said. “He played 19 plays and he did a good job in there. And I think when you look at it, there were some big plays in there, but there was some good stuff that went on. It always gets overshadowed in the big picture when you have some big plays and you don’t win.”
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Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said during his Monday press conference he did not have an update on Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green, who left Sunday’s game with a groin injury.
Glasgow confirmed his ACL tear but the Bengals have yet to officially place him on Injured Reserve. That likely will happen Tuesday after the team has some players in for tryouts.
Another option to fill Glasgow’s spot on the 53-man roster is rookie fifth-round pick Andrew Brown, who is on the practice squad.
While the Bengals are weighing their next move, Glasgow said he is prepared to face what lies ahead for him.
“I think the biggest thing about rehab is just chipping away,” he said. “I mean, that’s probably one of the most difficult processes for sure. It’s just every day coming in, doing your work, not taking short cuts. Because those short cuts when you’re quote-unquote healthy could be a detriment to your health. You could re-tear something. So it’s definitely about not taking short cuts and doing everything the right way and coming in every day with a positive attitude.”
Glasgow said his goal is to come back from the injury even sooner than Boling, who tore his ACL in early December and was back in time for minicamp.
“I want to be back doing stuff in OTAs,” Glasgow said. “I don’t really know how the recovery is going to be, but just going through drills, doing stuff, getting comfortable before camp.”
(Top image: Ryan Glasgow gets carted off the field after an injury in the fourth quarter Sunday. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)