Michigan football loses No.1 wide receiver Ronnie Bell to season-ending knee injury

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WILX) - University of Michigan football will have to operate without their best receiver for the rest of the season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday Ronnie Bell will miss the rest of the 2021 season due to a knee injury.

Bell suffered the injury during a punt return in Michigan’s 47-14 win over Western Michigan. The injury happened at the end of the 31 yard return and he had to be helped off the field.

He was later taken from the sideline to the tunnel on a cart.

It’ll be hard if not impossible to replace Bell, as he has been Michigan’s best receiver in each of the last two seasons, catching a combined 74 passes for 1,159 yards. Bell also caught a 76-yard touchdown pass during the contest against Western Michigan before he went down.

The next man up will be Cornelius Jones, followed by Roman Wilson, A.J. Henning, Daylen Baldwin and Mike Sainristill as options for increased roles. However, Bell was by far the favorite target for quarterback Cade McNamara.

Michigan’s next game is Saturday night against Washington at the Big House.

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