{
  "id": 16778284,
  "title": "Ahmad Hardy injury update: Eli Drinkwitz on star Mizzou RB’s possible return",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/ahmad-hardy-injury-update-eli-drinkwitz-on-star-mizzou-rbs-possible",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-27T18:22:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ahmad-hardy-injury-eli-drinkwitz-182212951.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz announced on Monday that star running back Ahmad Hardy was back at practice, marking a significant step towards his possible return to the field. However, the coach emphasized that there is still no definitive timeline for Hardy to return to action this season. Hardy, who suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh during a concert in May in Mississippi, missed the first seven games of the Tigers' season. He participated fully in yesterday's practice and the team will closely monitor his progress over the next few days. Despite the running back's impressive performance last season, rushing for a program-record 1,649 yards, Mizzou remains cautious with Hardy's recovery due to the invasive nature of his injury and the surgery he underwent. The coach stated that a return decision will be made based on how Hardy feels and performs, without relying on any specific timeline. Missouri still plans to proceed cautiously with Hardy, especially in the final five games of the year, as they currently have five games remaining in the regular season. The Tigers face Arkansas on Saturday, followed by Texas on November 7, and then games against Georgia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma before the season concludes.",
  "summary": "Ahmad Hardy was back at Missouri football practice Monday. Here's what Eli Drinkwitz said about the All-American running back's potential to return this season.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}