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New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells is in serious danger of having his foot amputated to fight off a staff infection, NFL.com Insider Ian Rapoport reported early Sunday.
Fells has already had five surgeries, and is expected to have more in an effort to save his foot from amputation.
According to Rapoport, the situation arose when Fells suffered a toe and ankle injury, and received a cortisone shot. After a week of continued pain, Fells was rushed to the hospital by his wife, where he learned his foot and ankle had contracted MRSA, a dangerous and often antibiotic-resistant staff infection.
While doctors are hoping to avoid amputation, there is also the graver fear that the MRSA has already spread into the bone and that it could also travel into his blood.
Fells' situation is not the first time MRSA has been a problem in the NFL. In 2013, MRSA spread in the Tampa Bay locker room. Former Buccaneers kicker Lawrence Tynes, who contracted the infection, is suing the organization over their mishandling of the situation, claiming it ended his career prematurely.
After the Giants got word of Fells' infection, they worked with infectious disease specialists to fully scrub and sanitize their locker rooms, training rooms, and meeting rooms. The players were also briefed on how to prevent the spread of the disease.
"This is a serious situation that has been taken seriously from the beginning. We're all fighting for Daniel," Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon said in a statement.