Nicco Marchiol Could Miss 'Several Weeks,' but Rich Rod Wants WVU Doctors Involved

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Nicco Marchiol didn't suit up last week for West Virginia's home game against Utah due to spending time out in Colorado to seek an opinion on an injury to his foot. The injury, according to head coach Rich Rodriguez, is something he didn't know about until the Sunday after the Kansas loss, but Marchiol said he had been battling it for a couple of weeks.
During his coach's show on Monday night at Kegler's, Rodriguez was asked about Marchiol's status and gave a bit of an eye-opening answer.
"He called me yesterday. He's out in Arizona, I believe. He's seeing some doctors out there, and he told me that the one or two doctors that he talked to said that he had a foot problem and that he's going to be out for several weeks. What I told him is we've got great doctors and trainers, so I want our doctors and trainers to communicate with his doctors so they get on the same page and know exactly what it is. He's definitely out in the short-term, and then once their doctors talk to our doctors and trainers, we can figure out how long it's going to be, I guess."
Marchiol is right at the four-game mark, which means if he plays in another game this season, he won't be eligible for a medical redshirt. The thinking here could be that if he's expected to miss several weeks that it would be worth sitting on the shelf and seeking the redshirt.
While Rodriguez understands that Marchiol knows certain doctors and trusts their opinions, it makes all the sense in the world for him to want his quarterback to be checked out by the team doctors that way there is full transparency as to what is going on and what the next steps need to be.
Through four games this season, Marchiol has completed 66-of-98 pass attempts for 720 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Rodriguez said he will rep the other four quarterbacks this week and will determine the starter later this week.
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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