The fourth-year Redskins running back had paced Washington in both rushing and receiving through 10 games this season before going down with the injury on Sunday afternoon.

In the midst of a breakout season, Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson suffered a fractured fibula in Sunday's overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints that will require surgery.

In the third quarter, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins tried to keep a drive alive on 3rd-and-4. Scrambling to his left side, Cousins tried to cut up the field with Thompson providing a block for the quarterback.

But as Thompson disengaged with safety Vonn Bell, the running back got his leg rolled up on by second-year defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins.

Thompson would land awkwardly with Rankins falling on top of him. His season likely ended on the spot.

He would be carted off the field with an air cast covering his leg.

"It's huge," said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden of Thompson's injury. "I mean, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but he's one of the most important players on our offense, especially when you get the ball back and you need him for pass protection and routes coming out of the backfield there on the end. We just obviously have to make due with what we have and we will."

While the Redskins converted on a fake punt on the play after Thompson's injury and while Washington soon found the end zone to cap of a 12-play, 94-yard scoring drive, it was difficult for teammates to get their minds off Thompson's injury.

"I was just feeling sorry for him," said fellow running back Samaje Perine. "I just let the game go out and play out how it played, but it was just – I don't know. I was just thinking about him and how unfortunate it is for him. You know, he's doing so great and possibly having a Pro Bowl type season, to have him go down like that, that's never good."

Cousins found out early in the fourth quarter that Thompson would be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

"It's tough," Cousins said. "Chris was one our best players, if not our best player this year, and this game has tested all of us including him and he's just had a phenomenal season and it's going to be challenging to continue to move the ball will all of the guys that we've had injured. But we'll find a way and just keep grinding and believe that if we do that good things will happen."

Linebacker Junior Galette, who returned to New Orleans for the first time since being released by the Saints in 2015, understands the difficulty of being sidelined with a season-ending injury.

Galette's first two seasons in Washington ended without him seeing the field due to separate torn Achilles.

"It really hurt knowing how hard he's been working and the kind of year he's been having," Galette said. "I know personally how it feels to be feeling like you're on top of the world and then go down. He's such a vital part of our offense."

Thompson took to Twitter after the game to express his emotions over his injury. Thompson accumulated more than 500 receiving yards with four receiving touchdowns along with nearly 300 rushing yards with two rushing scores on the season.