Vikings captain reveals he could have lost his leg in Week 10

After undergoing surgery for compartment syndrome, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks was told by doctors earlier this year he could have lost his leg.

What first teamed like a normal bump and bruise from tackling people to make a living, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks quickly found out that the injury he suffered back in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints had to be taken care of sooner than later.

Vikings medical staff sent Hicks to the hospital following the team's win over the Saints due to a substantial amount of swelling in his right leg, and he was ultimately diagnosed with compartment syndrome.

Doctors performed surgery on the Minnesota linebacker shortly after he arrived at the hospital, and he was released a few days later. On Thursday, Hicks shared that doctors told him he could have lost his leg if he wasn't sent to the hospital by the Vikings' medical staff.

Jordan Hicks hoping to re-join his Minnesota Vikings teammates after scary injury

Any injury that involves a possible outcome of losing a limb is incredibly frightening. Thankfully, Minnesota's medical staff made the right call to send Hicks to the hospital, or else his life could have drastically changed.

Currently, he is still recovering from the injury, and since he was placed on injured reserve after the win over New Orleans, he's not eligible to return to the field until Week 16 when the Vikings host the Detroit Lions inside U.S. Bank Stadium.

Will Hicks be ready to play by then? It's possible, but that Week 16 matchup might not be his exact return date. Even if it's not, the Minnesota linebacker said on Thursday that he's "pretty optimistic" that he will be able to return in time before the end of the regular season.