Monday Injury Rounds: Week 9

Photo: Imagn Images

NOTE: This column is a living document through Tuesday morning. I'll be updating as needed after team press conferences, imaging reports, Monday Night Football injuries, etc. Major changes to the content will be noted in red. 

Scroll to the bottom of this article for a quick look table of the week's most pressing injury situations and a review of players on injured reserve / PUP / NFI.

Footballguys will have close and detailed coverage of all injuries this season. Here's a look at my expected schedule. I will do my best to stick to this. Work and family responsibilities may sometimes cause brief delays.

Monday Injury Rounds: Posted Sunday night, updated through Tuesday AM. Detailed analysis of the week's injuries with table for quick review. Offensive injuries will be live Sunday night. Critical defensive and offensive line injuries will be added throughout the day on Monday. I'll be updating with news and analysis through Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday Injury Expectations: Posted late Wednesday and Thursday evening. Analysis of the practice participation report with a table including my projection of each injured player's likely game status. Will include discussion of any major breaking injury news.

Sunday Gameday Expectations: Posted by Saturday afternoon, updated through Sunday morning inactives. Will include individual player blurbs with detailed thoughts on the week's injury news and my speculation on player availability and limitations. Will include table highlighting each day's practice participation, official game status, and my availability expectation.

I'll also be contributing to our waiver wire podcast (Tuesday release), our live Sunday morning pregame show (10 ET Sunday on YouTube), and plan at least one weekly Periscope Q&A (shortly before Monday Night Football) with additional shows if/when possible. As always, I will be retweeting key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.

INJURY ROUNDS

Jordan Reed | Right hamstring strain | Week-to-Week

Reed grabbed his lower right hamstring after a pattern and did not return to the game. Earlier in the week, he revealed he'd been dealing with hip inflammation as he compensated for ongoing toe soreness. Unfortunately, he can now add the hamstring strain to his ever-lengthening list of injuries this year. Expect Reed to have an MRI on Monday. It's always worrisome when a player immediately reaches for the muscle strained. A multiple-week absence is possible.

***Monday Update: Jay Gruden told reporters Reed is likely to miss Week 9. Players ruled out of the following week's game less than 24 hours after a muscle strain are often out 2-4+ weeks. Prepare for a multiple week absence.

Leonard Fournette | Right ankle sprain | day-to-Day

Fournette had the benefit of the bye week to continue recovering from a low ankle sprain. He was hopeful to play last week despite not practicing and is expected to return this week. Early week practice participation will be critical. If he is cleared to practice on Wednesday, it's a good sign he can resume his pre-injury workload this week.

***Monday Update: Fournette returned to practice on Monday and should be ready to return.

Jameis Winston | Right AC sprain / Right deltoid contusion | Day-to-Day

Late Friday night, Dirk Koetter told a Sirius XM radio host Winston had aggravated his shoulder injury last week and was also dealing with a bruise to the deltoid muscle. It's not clear whether Winston's injuries limited him on Sunday but there were more high throws than usual. The Buccaneers limited Winston from throwing until Friday again last week and can be expected to continue to do so until he's near full recovery.

Zach Miller | Left knee dislocation | Out for Season | 12+ Months

Miller was taken to the hospital after a gruesome knee dislocation. At minimum, the mechanism of injury suggests Miller tore his ACL and PCL. While those injuries would be severe enough, it's possible Miller has injuries to the ligaments on either side of his knee. And the trip to the hospital highlights the most worrisome complications of a knee dislocation -- vessel and nerve injuries.

This is a similar injury to Teddy Bridgewater and Marshon Lattimore, among others. A very difficult recovery, Miller's status will be clearer after results of his imaging studies are known. If there are vessel injuries, this is likely a career-ending injury. If there are nerve injuries, Miller faces a combination of what Bridgewater and Jaylon Smith faced -- also a career-threatening injury.

The best case scenario will involve reconstruction of multiple ligaments and a 12+ month recovery and rehab.

***Monday Update: There are multiple reports this morning Miller required emergent vascular surgery to repair an artery in his knee. Popliteal artery injury is the primary concern with a knee dislocation, even one that spontaneously reduced on the field. It's why the Vikings called 9-1-1 for Teddy Bridgewater, who thankfully did not suffer a vessel injury. Both Napoleon McCallum and Robert Edwards suffered similar career-ending injuries.

This is a limb-threatening situation for Miller. Even if the blood supply to Miller's leg recovers, this is almost certainly a career-ending injury. Surgeons must deal with the injured vessel, manage swelling around the joint, and very closely monitor Miller's pulses below the knee. Amputation, sadly, remains a possibility. Best thoughts to Miller for a full recovery.

Chris Hogan | Shoulder injury | Awaiting Information

Early speculation is that Hogan suffered an AC sprain. He left the locker room wearing a sling, which is standard for low-mid grade AC sprains. Slated to have an MRI to better define the severity of his injury, the next 24-48 hours are critical to gauge the return timetable for Hogan. Like Golden Tate, who had a similar injury, Hogan will have a bye week to rest and recover. If Hogan can avoid significant stiffness and swelling this week, he'll have a chance to play in Week 10.

DeVante Parker | Right ankle sprain | Week-to-Week | Week 9+ Return

Parker continues to struggle to return after an ankle sprain. The limited workouts leading up to last Thursday night's game were reassuring but Adam Gase told reporters Parker wasn't ready for the physical Baltimore secondary. Parker would seem to have a good chance to return after another ten days to recover -- and four weeks of rehabilitation in total -- but it's not clear whether he'll be close to full strength. This week's practice participation will be informative.

Jay Cutler | Rib injury | Day-to-Day | Week 9 Return

Cutler had little chance of recovering in time for a Thursday night game. He's already been named Miami's Week 9 starter. Barring a setback in practice, he'll play this week.

Others of Note: Emmanuel Sanders is likely to be inactive on Monday night after not practicing last week. His return in Week 9 is questionable. Joe Staley has a fractured orbital bone that will likely keep him out multiple weeks.

FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS

David Johnson | Wrist dislocation | Week-to-Week | Week 10+ Return

During an interview with plugged-in local reporter Mike Jurecki on Sirius XM radio this week, David Johnson said he had yet to start rehabbing and remained immobilized in a cast. That immobilization is critical to Johnson's recovery. Allowing the joint to heal will decrease Johnson's long term risk of arthritis and decreased range of motion.

However, rehabilitation of an upper extremity joint like the wrist isn't the same as the rehab of a multiple week leg injury or back condition. Johnson has likely remained very close to football condition despite the injury. His remaining hurdle is transitioning to a functional splint and regaining enough strength in his wrist to secure the ball and catch passes. He'll then be cleared for contact. And when that happens he'll likely be ready for his pre-injury workload shortly afterward.

Bruce Arians said Johnson's earliest return would be around Thanksgiving. That would be Week 12. Assuming Johnson's likely window in Week 12-14, he should be near full strength during the fantasy playoff weeks.

Aaron Rodgers | Left clavicle fracture | 8-12 Weeks | Week 14+ return

Rodgers told Conan O'Brien he had 13 screws placed in his collarbone, prompting speculation his injury was too severe to recover from this season. In reality, it's highly unlikely Rodgers has that many screws, nor is it more likely his recovery will last significantly longer than expected. Most clavicle fixations require 3-4 screws on either side of the injury to anchor the plate. Some clavicle injuries are complicated, with multiple fragments involved and may require additional screws. Rodgers' mechanism of injury does not suggest that type of injury.

The Packers told us Rodgers would need at least eight weeks to recover when they chose to put him on injured reserve. Rodgers' detailed comments would ordinarily be refreshing and actionable. In this case, they're best ignored. There remain two primary signposts in Rodgers' recovery. First, Rodgers needs to be pain-free with full range of motion in his shoulder to be allowed to throw. That could happen soon. Second and most importantly, Rodgers must heal enough to be cleared for contact. That wouldn't have happened for at least 6-8 weeks before the decision to place him on injured reserve. Now, eight weeks is the soonest we'll see Rodgers cleared.

In the end, the Packers' won-loss record in Week 14 will be more pertinent than the number of screws Rodgers has in his collarbone.

Teddy Bridgewater | Left knee dislocation / Multiple ligament reconstruction | Day-to-Day | Week 10+ Return
Sam Bradford | Left knee bone contusion | Week-to-Week

Bradford continues to have pain in his surgically reconstructed left knee. He's sought multiple opinions and undergone multiple orthobiologic injections into his joint -- presumably to calm inflammation due to ongoing cartilage issues -- since trying to return in Week 6. He's yet to return to practice and is arguably no closer to returning than he was in Week 6.

The news is much better for Bridgewater. His recovery from a catastrophic knee dislocation has continued to progress well and there are strong indications he'll return in Week 10. The final test for Bridgewater comes this week. If the Vikings believe his knee is ready for contact, he'll begin taking first-team reps through the bye week and be named the starter. I think that's a likely scenario.

ANDREW LUCK | RIGHT SHOULDER LABRUM REPAIR | WEEK-TO-WEEK | WEEK 14+ RETURN

Jay Glazer reported Sunday morning Luck continues to feel soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder and has begun seeking other opinions. It's a concerning development. Here's what I wrote after discussing Luck with RotoViz contributor and upper extremity specialist Dr. Jeff Budoff last week:

Noting that a posterior labrum repair can be a technically difficult surgical procedure, Budoff wondered about lingering cartilage issues, persistent laxity in the shoulder joint, or shoulder tightness that was slow to respond to rehab. All would cause soreness and inflammation in the joint. All would require more deliberate rehab. And all could make a full return to form difficult. There's no way to know for certain if Luck is dealing with one of these anatomic considerations but it seems unlikely Luck would require a joint injection for mild soreness this late in his rehab program.

More specifically, Budoff told me it can be difficult to get the shoulder joint repaired just right. A successful repair of the posterior labrum may later be complicated by looseness in the front of the shoulder that wasn't a significant issue before. That looseness can cause inflammation and soreness in the later stages of a throwing program. It's also possible to repair the labrum slightly tighter than needed with a resulting decrease in shoulder range of motion. That stiffness may be able to be worked out with further rehab but would also cause inflammation as throwing increases. And those are just two possible complications that might warrant further discussion with a specialist.

The best case scenario for Luck after his recent cortisone injection was 1-2 weeks of rest before resuming his 4-6 week throwing program. If Luck is seeking additional opinions a week after his injection, it strongly suggests there is persistent inflammation in the joint. And that again resets his recovery timetable to 6-8 weeks from today, meaning the best case scenario for his return is now in the Week 15-17 window. The worst case scenario is also now in play -- Luck's shoulder may never be what it was pre-injury -- and that's even more painful to contemplate.

That's not to say the worst case scenario is any way likely. Chris Mortensen reported late Sunday night that the Colts do not believe the latest setback is serious. We've heard the same line from the Colts since June. Hopefully, I won't be updating this discussion with more concerning news after Luck's visit with a specialist on Monday.

Delanie Walker | Right ankle contusion | Week-to-Week | Week 9+ Return

Walker was originally reported to have an ankle sprain. Mike Mularkey would later clarify the injury to be a bone bruise somewhere around the ankle. Walker's recovery in time to play this week would be more assured if his injury was a sprain. Bone contusions are fickle recoveries, particularly if the area injured is a weight-bearing surface. That's a real concern given how much difficulty Walker had coming off the field immediately after his injury. Walker has played through painful leg injuries in the past but I expect him to be limited in practice this week. I'll have an update in Wednesday's practice report notes, if not sooner.

***Monday Update: Walker did not practice on Monday but Mike Mularkey told reporters the Titans felt rest was best for Walker. We'll find out if that explanation is accurate later this week.

Charles Clay | Left MCL / meniscus injury | Week-to-Week | Week 10+ Return

Clay was in pads and stretching with the team last week but likely still has at least a week of reconditioning and recovery before being cleared for contact. Stretching in pads is a good sign but it doesn't tell us whether Clay's knee is stable enough to cut on or take contact. I think his earliest return will be Week 10.

Dede Westbrook | Core abdominal muscle repair | Week-to-Week | Week 9+ Return

Westbrook has not been officially designated to return yet but local writers expect him to return to practice and possibly Jacksonville's active roster in Week 9. Most players return from core abdominal muscle repairs in 4-6 weeks. Westbrook will have had eight weeks to recover and has told reporters he's been pleasantly surprised with how smooth his rehab has gone. Expect the Jaguars to ease him back into their offensive game plan over a couple of games.

Denzel Perryman | Ankle ligament reconstruction | Injured Reserve | Designated to Return
C.J. Fiedorowicz | Concussion | Injured Reserve | Designated to Return
Clayton Geathers | Cervical discectomy / fusion | rEMOVED FROM pup
Denzelle Good | Wrist ligament repair | Injured Reserve | Designated to Return

Week 9 is here and the first set of players are eligible to return from the PUP or injured reserve list. More will follow. None of these players have been moved to their team's active roster yet.

***Monday Update: The Ravens told reporters Danny Woodhead was close to practicing. If he starts reconditioning this week, Woodhead will have an outside chance at returning after Baltimore's Week 10 bye. Carolina beat writers are reporting the team is targeting Week 12 for Greg Olsen's return.

Others of Note: Reuben Foster practiced last week but was unable to play through a painful rib injury. Trent Williams was finally convinced to rest for at least a week but he needs surgery and remains at high risk of a recurrent patellar dislocation. Myles Garrett continues to recover from a concussion and is hopeful to return this week.

INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER

INJURED PLAYERS NOT ON ACTIVE ROSTER