Knee Injury in Training Camp Might End Dorsett’s Career

Running back Tony Dorsett of the Denver Broncos is scheduled for further tests today to determine the extent of a knee injury that team officials fear could be career-ending.

Dorsett’s left knee gave way while running a pass pattern during a Thursday morning workout in shorts.

The 35-year-old veteran was examined by trainer Steve Antonopulos and a team orthopedic surgeon. They indicated that Dorsett may have suffered ligament or cartilage damage, but they are reserving judgment until Dorsett undergoes a magnetic resonance imaging test in Denver today.

“It’s a little bit vague,” Coach Dan Reeves said. “Until we do more tests, we won’t know exactly the status of his knee. The knee is pretty stable and that’s encouraging. But we do believe there is some damage in there.

“We realize we could be talking about his career, so we’re being very careful.”

Dorsett, entering his 13th National Football League season, returned to practice Wednesday after missing several days of workouts with a pulled hamstring.

The NFL’s No. 2 all-time rusher with 12,739 yards, Dorsett gained 703 yards last season in his first year in Denver after being acquired in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys.

Only Walter Payton, with 16,726 yards, has more. Dorsett passed Franco Harris and Jim Brown though he was something of a disappointment last season.

Despite his age, Dorsett showed explosive bursts on occasion. But Reeves warned Dorsett that he needed to improve his pass-catching skills if he expected to have a job in 1989.

Dorsett spent most of the off-season in Dallas and made only occasional appearances at spring conditioning drills in Denver.