NFL star tears his achilles in gruesome fashion

San Diego Charger Branden Oliver’s NFL season ended before it had even really begun over the weekend, with the Chargers running back tearing his Achilles in agonising fashion during a pre-season game.

Late in the first half against the Vikings, the No.43 had taken a pass from quarterback Kellen Clemens and was trying to power away from the oncoming defenders when disaster struck.

The movement was too much for Oliver’s right Achilles, with the tendon breaking like a rubber band as his weight went back through the heel.

Gruesome footage shows the back of the running back’s leg pop, causing a dramatic ripple up towards the knee.

The injury caps a nightmare 12 months for the 25-year-old, who had only just recovered from the turf toe injury that had ruled him out of the last eight weeks of the 2015 season.