What is Alabama QB A.J. McCarron Doing in a Walking Boot? [UPDATE]

Alabama is staring history in the face unlike any team in NCAA history has. Should they do the unthinkable and continue to dominate their opponents they stand to win a third consecutive national championship--but that will be a little bit harder to do if they lose their quarterback for any amount of time.

There is no reason to expect they might. However, he has been seen walking around Atlanta (where the Crimson Tide will start their season against Virginia Tech Saturday) wearing a walking boot.

ESPN's Cole Cubelic tweeted this pic of McCarron walking around wearing the boot in question:

@colecubelic/Twitter

Earlier this month McCarron did suffer a minor injury when his foot was stepped on during a scrimmage. Since they described the injury as just a bruise I can't imagine that still being an issue a couple weeks later.

I've had a bruise on my foot back in my playing days, and the day after it hurt like a mother******. However, after the trainer was done laughing at me for asking about it he gave me an aspirin and told me it would be fine by practice time on Monday (and it was).

This is probably nothing. On his twitter page Cubelic even mentions how he wore one for two months back during his Auburn days as a preventative measure. Several people that commented on a Bleacher Report post said McCarron can often be seen wearing one around campus.

So fret not 'Bama fans. Your boy--and your national title hopes--are going to be just fine.

UPDATE: It's just an ingrown toenail. Annoying but definitely not something that any player worth his salt would miss time over.