Manny Wilkins injury update: Battlehawks QB carted off in air cast after leg injury
The St. Louis Battlehawks lost starting quarterback Manny Wilkins to a serious-looking leg injury on the first drive of their Week 4 game against the Arlington Renegades.
The injury occurred when Wilkins tried to run up the middle on a third-and-11 in the first quarter of the game. He planted his right leg in the ground and it gave out, causing the quarterback to fall to the ground.
Wilkins immediately reached for his right leg and remained down long after the play.
Wilkins was eventually carted off the field with an air cast on his injured leg. The Battlehawks didn't immediately provide an update on the quarterback's injury but Anthony Becht was asked about Wilkins' departure on the game broadcast.
"Prayers for Manny," he told ESPN's Cole Cubelic. "That makes me sick that happened."
Wilkins was in his first season as the Battlehawks' starting quarterback after replacing veteran AJ McCarron. The 29-year-old fared well in his first three games, leading St. Louis to a 2-1 record while completing 67.2% of his passes for 498 yards, one and three interceptions while adding 139 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Max Duggan is set to take over for Wilkins in the wake of his injury. The first-year Battlehawk led TCU to a national championship game appearance and was a seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2023 NFL draft before he joined the UFL.
"Max is ready," Becht said when asked about the 24-year-old quarterback. "He's a gamer."
Third-string quarterback Trae Self, who played collegiately at Stephen F. Austin, will back up Duggan with Wilkins out of action and normal third-string quarterback Chevan Cordeiro on IR.