Jake Long injury: Dolphins tackle could be out 1 to 3 weeks with sprained MCL

Miami Dolphins star offensive tackle Jake Long has sprained his medial collateral ligament, ESPN.com's Adam Schefter reported on Twitter Monday night.

Dolphins believe OT Jake Long sprained his medial collateral ligament during Monday practice. He's getting an MRI to determine exact damage.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2012

The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero reported that Long could be out anywhere from a week to four weeks, depending on what the MRI reveals. Based on what the Dolphins believe to be the extent of the injury, it's looking more on the one-to-three-week side:

If that initial diagnosis is correct and so far nothing is certain because only the MRI will tell for sure, Long is likely to miss between one and three weeks if the sprain is mild. If the sprain is a moderate one, which the Dolphins don't think, Long could be out 3-4 weeks.

If Long has a torn MCL, this becomes an issue of more significant proportions in that Long could miss four to six weeks. Again, the Dolphins do not believe the injury to be this severe.

reported that Long left practice