SEATED ON A cart, headed back to the Carolina locker room, a teary-eyed Donte Jackson rehearses what he wants to say to his big toe. Two weeks earlier, in Week 3 of the 2020 season, while leaping to defend a deep ball against the Chargers, the Panthers cornerback suffered one of the most dreaded and debilitating injuries in the NFL: turf toe. Now, being carted off the field against Atlanta in Week 5, one look at Jackson's face, trapped in an endless loop of pain, aggravation and soul searching, tells you all you need to know about the special kind of misery this nasty injury with the silly name inflicts.
The agony of the feet: Why turf toe is such a dreaded injury in the NFL
