:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67650346/usa_today_15048924.0.jpg)
NC State announced Sunday morning that quarterback Devin Leary will be out at least a month after undergoing surgery on a broken left fibula. Most likely, we’ve seen Leary play his final snap of the 2020 season.
.@DevinLeary1 had surgery on a broken fibula this morning and will be out 4-8 weeks. Surgery went well, but know he would appreciate your thoughts & prayers, #WPN. pic.twitter.com/4JUhD1449F
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 18, 2020
Leary suffered the injury on a read-play keeper during the second half, and it was the sort of nightmare play that will forever disabuse you of the notion of letting your quarterback run the ball. He was caught in between on a slide as he attempted to give himself up a beat late, and he got crushed by a Duke defender who was also called for targeting.
And this looks like it could be Devin Leary's last play of the season.
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) October 18, 2020
Targeting called on Duke's Lummie Young but the injury is Leary's left ankle getting caught underneath him on the awkward slide pic.twitter.com/B3QeXZCiTW
NC State will move forward with Bailey Hockman or Ben Finley, and that obviously alters the outlook on the second half of the season substantially. All we can do is hope for the best, but this is not the kind of setback that this program is built to endure.
It was encouraging that the Wolfpack rallied around Leary yesterday and beat the Blue Devils despite losing him—we’re going to need a whole lot more of that energy.