Overview

• Spears was carted off in the second quarter after limping off a 13-yard reception and later underwent tests that confirmed a high ankle sprain.
• Coach Brian Callahan said Spears will miss several weeks of action but left open the chance he could be activated for the Week 1 game in Denver.
• In Spears’ absence, rookie Kalel Mullings and third-year back Julius Chestnut have been elevated on the depth chart and will see increased snaps in practices and preseason matchups.
• Spears’ recurring lower-body issues—two concussions, a hamstring strain and a previous ankle sprain—cost him five games last season and have prompted a cautious recovery plan.
• High ankle sprains typically require four to six weeks of healing, ruling Spears out of the rest of the preseason and setting his return target for September 7.