This early injury report covers the key player injuries from the previous week’s NFL action.
QUARTERBACKS
Terrelle Pryor, OAK â Undisclosed Knee Injury
Raiders’ QB Terrelle Pryor left Sunday’s game against the Eagles with an undisclosed injury, however the injury is not believed to be serious and team officials are optimistic that he will be able to play in Week 10. It is unclear how Pryor actually hurt his knee, but he was pulled from Sunday’s blowout loss after complaining of knee pain and he despite being able to run, cut and jump without a problem he was held out as a precaution. The exact nature of Pryor’s injury has not been made public, but he did say his knee “felt stable” and it appears he is going to be OK. Head coach Dennis Allen classified Pryor as “day-to-day,” but don’t be surprised if he is limited in practice this week while he recovers.Â
Aaron Rodgers, GB â Fractured Clavicle
Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers will miss at last 3 weeks after suffering a fractured left clavicle (collarbone) during Monday night’s game against the Bears. Rodgers, who was hurt when he fell on his shoulder in the first quarter, confirmed on Tuesday that his clavicle is broken however he said there wasn’t a timetable set for his return. According to reports surgery won’t be necessary, but he’ll likely need at least 3 weeks for the injury to heal. Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that the team will be dealing with this injury on a “week-to-week” basis, so there appears to be optimism that he will be returning sooner rather than later. Seneca Wallace will start for the Packers while Rodgers is out.
RUNNING BACKS
Arian Foster, HOU â Undisclosed Back Injury / Strained Hamstring
Texans’ RB Arian Foster, who has been recovering from a strained hamstring, left Sunday’s game against the Colts after suffering what the team has described as a back injury, and his status for Week 10 is currently unknown. Foster was forced out after just the first offensive series. He didn’t carry the ball once, but according to reports his back forced him to the locker room where the team’s medical staff decided to keep him out for the remainder of the game as a precaution. If you remember Foster missed portions of training camp and the preseason with a back and calf problem, but it is unclear if this latest back issue is related. Foster refused to talk about the injury on Monday and Tuesday, but hopefully the team will have an update on his status after practice today.
Darren McFadden, OAK â Strained Hamstring
Raiders’ RB Darren McFadden, who missed a game earlier this season after straining his hamstring against the Redskins in Week 4, aggravated the injury on Sunday against the Eagles and his status for Week 10 appears to be in question. McFadden was hurt early in the second quarter and he was officially ruled out for the remainder of the game at halftime. He spoke with reporters after the game and he confirmed that the injury was in the “same spot” as his previous hamstring strain. Don’t expect him to practice this week and don’ be surprised if he ends up as a game-time decision.
Ben Tate, HOU â Fractured Ribs
Texans’ RB Ben Tate was active on Sunday despite still recovering from four fractured ribs and he was forced into a significant role after starting tailback Arian Foster left the game with an injury. Tate touched the ball 23 times and had a handful of good runs, but he admitted on Monday morning that he was in a significant amount of discomfort and that it was very hard to “breath and laugh.” Despite all of his problems he still expects to play in Week 10, and if Foster is unable to play look for Tate to get a bulk of the carries again.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Leonard Hankerson, WAS â Strained Hamstring
Redskins’ WR Leonard Hankerson suffered a minor hamstring strain during Sunday’s game against the Chargers, and after being officially limited on Monday he was back on the field with teammates on Tuesday and team officials expect him to play on Thursday. It isn’t clear when Hankerson was injured, but he complained for soreness and some stiffness in his hamstring after the team’s overtime win against the Chargers. He spent a lot of time in the training room on Monday getting treatment, but after practicing in full on Tuesday head coach Mike Shanahan told reporters that he expected Hankerson to be ready for the game against the Vikings.
Jeremy Kerley, NYJ â Disclosed Elbow
Jets’ WR Jeremy Kerley will miss at least two weeks and possibly longer after dislocating his left elbow during Sunday’s game against the Saints. Kerley was injured when he landed on his arm in the second quarter. He was in a lot of pain and had to be helped off the field and according to reports he was immediately taken to the locker room where his arm was X-rayed and examined. X-rays were negative so the medical staff determined it was safe to reduce the dislocation. It isn’t clear what Kerley actually damaged, but he almost certainly suffered sprains to at least one ligament within the elbow joint. A timetable has not been given for his return, however team officials expect him to miss their Week 11 game. The Jets’ have a bye this upcoming week and Kerley will not take part in practice.
Greg Little, CLE â Minor Shoulder Sprain
Browns’ WR Greg Little, who left Sunday’s game against the Ravens with a minor shoulder sprain, took part in practice on Tuesday which indicates that his injury shouldn’t be an issue when the team returns from it’s Week 10 bye. Little injured his shoulder when he was tackled out of bounds at the end of a long fourth quarter reception. He tried to play through the pain, but he eventually left the game and did not return. There was some initial concern that the injury was serious, however testing on Monday confirmed that he was OK and he was cleared to take part in practice on Tuesday. The Browns have a bye this upcoming week so he’ll have plenty of time to rest and recover. So Little has plenty of time to get ready for the team’s Week 11 game against the Bengals.
TIGHT ENDS
Kyle Rudolph, MIN â Fractured Foot
Vikings’ TE Kyle Rudolph will miss the next 4 â 6 weeks after an MRI on Monday confirmed that he suffered a fractured foot during Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Rudolph was forced from the game after rolling his foot at the end of a terrific touchdown reception in the third quarter. According to initial reports X-rays in the locker room were negative, but as it turns out those X-rays were actually inconclusive and additional testing on Monday morning revealed that Rudolph fractured a bone in his left foot. Head coach Leslie Frazier hopes that Rudolph can return in a month, but there is some concern that the injury could eventually land him on the IR.
