Penn State’s Nick Singleton Suffers Foot Injury at Senior Bowl, Will Miss Combine Workouts
MOBILE, Ala. - Nick Singleton’s journey to the NFL hit an unexpected speed bump this week in Mobile. The Penn State standout and all-time program leader in rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards suffered a broken foot during Thursday’s Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium - an unfortunate blow for a player looking to reassert his draft stock in front of NFL decision-makers.
The injury occurred during one-on-one drills, where Singleton appeared to tweak something in his right foot. He walked off under his own power, but not without a noticeable limp. Trainers checked him on the sideline as he grabbed at his foot, before he eventually made his way to the locker room.
We now know the injury is a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot - a tough break, both literally and figuratively. Singleton is scheduled to undergo surgery early next week at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, a facility well-known for treating elite athletes.
This setback means Singleton won’t be able to participate in on-field drills at next month’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He’s still expected to attend and go through interviews and medical evaluations, but the timing of the injury couldn’t be worse for a player who came to Mobile with something to prove.
Singleton’s final season in Happy Valley didn’t unfold the way many expected. He rushed for 549 yards on 123 carries - both career lows - and never quite found the explosive rhythm that made him a household name in previous years.
That made the Senior Bowl a critical showcase for him. It was his first real opportunity to remind scouts and coaches why he’s still one of the most intriguing running back prospects in this year’s class.
“I want to show that I’m a complete back,” Singleton said earlier this week. “I want to show everyone why I’m here.”
And he meant it. Singleton came into the week with the right mindset - ready to compete, ready to reintroduce himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of a chance to do that before the injury cut his week short.
Now, the focus shifts to recovery and rehab. The good news: a broken fifth metatarsal, while serious, is a common injury in football and usually has a clear recovery timeline. Singleton will miss the Combine workouts, but depending on how his rehab progresses, he could still be in play for a Pro Day appearance or private workouts later in the pre-draft cycle.
For now, it’s a waiting game. NFL teams know what Singleton has done at Penn State - the vision, the burst, the ability to contribute in both the run and pass game. But in a deep running back class, every opportunity to stand out matters, and this injury robs Singleton of one of the biggest stages in the pre-draft process.
Still, if there's one thing we’ve seen from Singleton throughout his college career, it’s resilience. He’s bounced back before. Now, the next chapter of his football story will be about how quickly - and how strongly - he can bounce back again.