This early injury report covers the key player injuries from the previous week’s NFL action.
QUARTERBACKS
Blaine Gabbert, JAC â Strained Hamstring
Jaguars’ QB Blaine Gabbert will miss at least week after leaving Sunday’s game with a strained hamstring. Gabbert said he felt a “pop” in his hamstring in the third quarter and he was unable to finish the game. He reportedly underwent an MRI on Monday and while the results have not been made public he has already been ruled out for Week 6 and there is a chance that he could miss an extended period of time while he recovers indicating that he could be dealing with a partial muscle tear. Chad Henne will get the start while Gabbert is out and depending on how he plays he could remain in the starting lineup even when Gabbert is ready to return.
Brian Hoyer, CLE â Torn ACL
Browns’ QB Brian Hoyer will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during last Thursday night’s game against the Bills. The injury occurred at the end of a first-half scramble. He tried to slide to avoid contact but got hit by LB Kiko Alonso and his leg got caught underneath him. Hoyer stayed down for several minutes and after limping off the field he was escorted to the locker room. The medical staff suspected damage to his ACL and an MRI on Friday morning confirmed that it was torn. Fortunately the remaining ligaments and cartilage in his knee were undamaged which will make recovery from reconstructive knee surgery less complicated. Brandon Weeden will now return to the starting lineup.
E.J. Manuel, BUF â Sprained LCL
Bills’ rookie QB E.J. Manuel will miss at least two weeks and he could reportedly be out up to 6 weeks after he sprained the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee during last Thursday’s game against the Browns. Manuel, who was hurt when he took a helmet to his knee on a third quarter scramble, was seen wearing a heavy brace in the locker room afterwards and an MRI the next day confirmed that he suffered damage to his LCL. It does not appear that the injury will require surgery, however head coach Doug Marrone told reporters that Manuel would be out a “few weeks” and there are unconfirmed reports that suggest he could be sidelined up to 6 weeks. Thad Lewis, who was recently signed off the team’s practice squad, has already been announced as the starter for Week 6 against the Bengals.
Michael Vick, PHI â Strained Hamstring
Eagles’ QB Michael Vick suffered a strained hamstring during Sunday’s game against the Giants and there are reports that suggest he will likely be out for Week 6. Vick pulled his hamstring as he ran out of bounds at the end of a carry in the second quarter. He told reporters he tried to slow down but that he took a wrong step and hurt his leg. He was replaced by Nick Foles and taken to the locker room where he was evaluated and treated. Unfortunately Vick was experiencing a lot of discomfort and he was unable to return to the game. Head coach Chip Kelly said on Monday that Vick was “day to day” and that he wasn’t sure if he would be able to play in their next game, however according to several websites it looks like he will be out for at least a week. Foles will start if Vick can’t play.
RUNNING BACKS
Rashad Jennings, OAK â Strained Hamstring
Raiders’ RB Rashad Jennings left Sunday night’s game against the Chargers with a strained hamstring and his status for Week 6 is unknown. Jennings hurt his leg late in the first half and he was unable to play in the second half as a result. According to reports he was diagnosed with a strained hamstring after the game, however the severity of the injury has not been made public and team officials aren’t saying how long they expect Jennings to be out. Hopefully we have an update on Wednesday.
Ryan Mathews, SD â Concussion
Chargers’ RB Ryan Mathews was knocked out of Sunday night’s game against the Raiders with a concussion and his status for Week 6 is currently unknown. Matthews took a knee to the helmet during a second-quarter carry and after being evaluated on the sideline the medical staff decided to keep him out for the remainder of the game. According to reports he complained of dizziness during the initial assessment and a headache in the locker room afterwards. Mathews will now spend the next couple of days undergoing neurological testing and we won’t know more about his status for the team’s next game until Thursday or Friday.
David Wilson, NYG â Undisclosed Neck Injury
Giants’ RB David Wilson left Sunday’s game against the Eagles after suffering a neck injury on a carry in the first half and team officials said that injury was minor and that he was held out for the remainder of the game as a precaution. However Wilson is reportedly dealing with tingling in his neck and his status for Thursday night’s game appears to be in doubt. Wilson said after the game that his neck was fine and he indicated that he could have returned. But obviously if he is dealing tingling a day after getting hurt the injury is anything but minor. He did not practice on Monday and it looks like he is a long shot to play on Thursday against the Bears.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Donnie Avery, KC â Bruised Shoulder
Chiefs’ WR Donnie Avery will be limited in practice this week while he recovers from a bruised shoulder that occurred during Sunday’s game against the Titans. Avery reportedly came down hard on his shoulder in the second quarter and he was forced to the locker room prior to halftime. He tried returning in the third but he was unable to finish the game. X-rays after the game were negative and the injury is being called a bruise, but according to reports he was having trouble raising his arm on Monday. His status for Week 6 is currently uncertain.
Roddy White, ATL â Strained Hamstring
Falcons’ WR Roddy White, who still recovering from a high ankle sprain, left Monday night’s game against the Jets with a hamstring strain. White appeared to pull his hamstring early in the fourth quarter and he was seen walking with a slight limp in the locker room afterwards. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but the team is moving into it’s Week 6 bye so White has an extra week to rest and recover. We’ll have an update on his status later in the week.
TIGHT ENDS
Owen Daniels, HOU – Undisclosed Leg Injury
According to reports Texans’ TE Owen Daniels is in danger of missing several weeks after he injured his leg during Sunday night’s game against the 49ers. Daniels apparently got hit in the leg in the fourth quarter and although he was able to finish the game he complained of discomfort and pain in the locker room afterwards. Head coach Gary Kubiak told reporters that the team’s medical staff was concerned about Daniels’ fibula and he reportedly underwent two MRI’s on Monday to determine the extent and severity of the injury. Since the medical staff is looking at his fibula it’s safe to assume that they believe there might be some kind of fracture and the multiple MRI’s suggest that there is a lot of swelling in his leg making it difficult for them to see what the problem is. We should know more about Daniels’ leg over the next 48 hours.
Martellus Bennett, CHI â Undisclosed Knee Injury
Bears’ TE Martellus Bennett briefly left Sunday’s game against the Saints with an undisclosed knee injury and his status for Week 6 is currently unknown. Bennett took a shot to his leg while trying to make a catch in the first half and he got flipped and landed on his head in the process. The medical staff did not look at this head or neck on the sideline and concentrated on his knee. He eventually returned to the game, but according reports he complained of pain and swelling in the joint in the locker room afterwards. The nature and severity of the injury has not been made public and his status for Thursday’s game against the Giants is unknown.
Greg Olsen, CAR â Undisclosed Lower Leg Injury
Panthers’ TE Greg Olsen was seen wearing a protective boot on his left foot on Monday and his status for Week 6 is now uncertain. It isn’t clear when he was hurt or what the injury is but obviously it is a bit of a concern if he needs to wear something to protect it. We’ll likely have an update on the injury and his status for the team’s next game on Wednesday.
