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Terrance Knighton had played through excruciating cluster headaches the previous two games

They’re not just headaches. They’re not migraines. Redskins nose tackle Terrance Knighton missed Sunday’s loss against the New England Patriots because of cluster headaches, which are considered one of the most painful types of headaches. An episode can last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, and it can cause the 6-foot-3, 354-pound defensive lineman to curl up “basically trying to pull my hair out in tears.”

Knighton said he has dealt with cluster headaches dating from high school. Typically they last a few weeks, but the seven-year veteran said this stretch has been one of the longest episodes he’s ever dealt with, dating from Week 6 against the New York Jets.