NFL: Kaeding is out for the Chargers after freak accident

San Diego - You usually don’t expect to see a kicker get injured during the game unless they are roughed up on a field-goal, punt or just straight ran over on a kickoff. Yesterday we saw a kicker get hurt while trying to make a play on kickoff.

Nate Kaeding of the San Diego Chargers will miss the rest of the season as he was hurt just .2 seconds into the game. The injury occurred on the opening kickoff when he kicked the ball to Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin. Harvin took the kick return out of the endzone and raced 103-yards shaking Kaeding in the process. Kaeding was reaching for Harvin and it appeared as if his foot got stuck in the grass and he fell to the ground. A few minutes after you see the Viking celebrating in the endzone with Harvin, you see Kaeding being carted off the field and taken back into the locker room. This can go down as the quickest end to a season ever. The diagnosis is a torn ACL in his left knee, but there are still test to be run. The confirmation of the injury came during a press conference with Head Coach Norv turner were he said Kaeding will be out for the season. Kaeding has been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL and will be hard to replace. Kaeding was named to the NFL Pro Bowl last year for the second time in his career. Kaeding made 32/35 field-goals last year which turned out to be a NFL leading 91.4 %. With Kaeding out in this game the Chargers depended on their punter Mike Scifres who attempted their extra points and even knocked in the game winner to make a 24-17 Chargers victory.