The Chicago Bears have released a statement shedding some light on tight end Zach Miller‘s devastating knee injury, which he suffered on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, confirming the severity of his case.

The statement read in part, “Zach Miller sustained a serious injury to his left knee and immediate evaluation from our medical team on site rushed him to nearby University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC) for urgent vascular surgery to repair a torn popliteal artery. Successful surgery was performed immediately on Sunday by the UMC vascular surgeons to stabilize his injury.”

Miller remains at the hospital in New Orleans, with members of the Bears’ medical staff with him.

There is an increased chance of damage to the popliteal artery in situations when there is knee dislocation, as Miller suffered on Sunday. If there is not swift intervention to fix damage to the artery, it can lead to more damage, whether to the popliteal vein or calf muscles, or in some cases, loss of limb.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweeted Monday afternoon that Miller was undergoing a post-surgery MRI to evaluate blood flow and anatomy in his injured leg. Former NFL team doctor David Chao wrote that the MRI is a “great” sign because doctors would not be worried about Miller’s ligaments if he were still in danger of losing his leg.

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