Monday Injury Rounds: Week 9 - Footballguys

Jene Bramel's Monday Injury Rounds: Week 9 - Footballguys Jene Bramel Published 10/29/2018

NOTE: During the regular season, 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.

Midweek Injury Expectations: Posted Wednesday night. 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 be contributing to our waiver wire podcast (Tuesday release) and our live Sunday morning pregame show (10 ET Sunday on YouTube). I will also be retweeting key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following me @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.

INJURY ROUNDS

Will Fuller | Right ACL tear | Out for Season

Fuller tore the ACL in his right knee and his season is over. Fuller is already scheduled for surgery, though, which means he has no other significant associated injuries. He should be able to return for training camp next year.

Tyreek Hill | Groin strain | Week 8 | Awaiting Information | Questionable Week 9

Hill left Sunday's game with a groin strain. Andy Reid did not update Hill's condition in his post-game press conference. Soft tissue strains can be difficult injuries for field-stretching speed receivers to play through effectively. Hopefully, there will be a reassuring update on Monday.

Others of note:

***Ronald Jones II suffered a hamstring strain. On Monday, Ian Rapoport suggested the injury was at least a mid-grade strain, setting the return-to-play expectation at "a few weeks."

***A.J. Green sprained his big toe late in the fourth quarter on a catch putting the Bengals into game-winning field goal range. After the game, Green minimized the injury and said he was fine. He'll have the Bengals' Week 9 bye to recover and should be available in Week 10.

Offensive line and defensive notes:

***Philadelphia tackle Lane Johnson suffered a mid-grade MCL sprain and will miss multiple weeks. There's an outside chance he will be available after the Eagles' Week 9 bye.

***Watch for updates on Cincinnati guard Clint Boling, who could not return after a back injury. The Bengals have a Week 9 bye. While Cincinnati may get rookie center Billy Price back in Week 10, Boling is the most critical member of their interior line.

***Chicago will likely be without guard Kyle Long for multiple weeks. He left the locker room on crutches with what's suspected to be a significant foot injury.

Follow-up Appointments

Leonard Fournette | Aggravated right hamstring strain | Week-to-Week | Bye Week 9

Fournette enters the Jaguars' Week 9 bye having missed a month of practice. While it's likely Jacksonville has targeted the bye week to slowly recondition Fournette in practice, it's not yet clear whether he's ready to return to practice. Look for reports on Fournette's availability in drills during the bye week. If he doesn't return to practice by the middle of this week, there's no guarantee we'll see Fournette in Week 10.

Dalvin Cook | Left hamstring strain | Week-to-Week | Doubtful Week 9

After two weeks of unsuccessfully testing his hamstring during early-week practices, Cook and the Vikings finally decided not to risk any further aggravations and allow his nagging hamstring strain to heal. Not long after being ruled out for Week 8, there were reports the Vikings may have decided to shut Cook down through their Week 10 bye. That's easily supported by last week's decision not to practice Cook at all. If he's not fully practicing on Wednesday, that confirms Cook's earliest return will be Week 11.

Sony Michel | Left knee injury | Week-to-Week | Questionable Week 9

Michel wasn't formally ruled out of Monday night's game but he won't play. A surprise appearance during individual drills on Saturday was reassuring, however. With the short turnaround from Monday night to their Week 9 home matchup against Green Bay, the Patriots would not have Monday or Tuesday workouts to assess Michel's status. Though Michel didn't look fluid in his Saturday appearance, the workout was primarily to put the knee under football-related stress and reassess through the weekend. If Michel is practicing again on Wednesday, he may have a chance to return in Week 9.

Others of note:

***There were no actionable updates on Melvin Gordon through the Chargers' bye week. Previous reports suggested Gordon's hamstring strain was minor and unlikely to keep him out in Week 9. Unless Anthony Lynn tells us more on Monday, we may not know more on Gordon's status until Wednesday's practice participation report.

***Cooper Kupp has yet to return to practice after a Week 6 MCL sprain. Projecting recovery after mid-grade MCL sprains can be tricky but most players return within a 2-4 week window. For now, Kupp has yet to prove his knee feels good enough to cut at speed or convince the medical staff his joint is stable enough for drills. He's still likely on the doubtful side of questionable this week. Monday Update: Sean McVay told reporters Monday evening he believes Kupp has a good chance to return this week. That's a good indication Kupp has made enough progress to be cleared for drills and practice on Wednesday.

***The Texans lost Will Fuller to an ACL tear on Thursday night with Keke Coutee already inactive with a hamstring injury. Multiple reports suggest Coutee's hamstring strain is minor, however, and he's expected to return this week.

Offensive line and defensive notes:

***After a very optimistic report leading into the Chargers' Week 8 bye suggesting Joey Bosa was on the verge of returning, Adam Schefter tweeted on Sunday morning that Bosa is not "anywhere near ready to play right now." Schefter also noted the injury was a midfoot sprain rather than the contusion reported earlier in the season and the recovery timetable was always likely to be 8-12 weeks. This is suspicious for a Lisfranc injury that was a borderline surgical case. Taken together, these reports mean Bosa won't be ready until mid-November at the earliest.

***Khalil Mack elected to rest his injured left ankle rather than risk further aggravation. He may still be questionable for Week 9.

INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER

Quarterbacks Injured | On the Active Roster
Player
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Ryan Tannehill Mia Right shoulder injury Week 3 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Doubtful Week 9
Josh Allen Buf Right UCL sprain Week 6 Week-to-Week Week 10++ Return Out Week 9
Running Backs Injured | On the Active Roster
Player
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Melvin Gordon
LAC
Hamstring strain
Week 7
Week-to-Week
Week 9 Return
Questionable Week 9
Jac
Aggravated right hamstring strain
Week 4
Week-to-Week
Week 10 Return
Bye Week 9
Min
Left hamstring strain
Week 3
Week-to-Week
Week 11 Return
Doubtful Week 9
NE
Left knee injury
Week 7
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
Questionable Week 9
Den
High ankle sprain
Week 7
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
Questionable Week 9
TB
Hamstring strain
Week 8
Week-to-Week
Week 12+ Return
Out Week 9
Chris Thompson
Was
Rib / Knee injuries
Week 6/8
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
Questionable Week 9
Cin
Left MCL sprain
Week 4
Week-to-Week
Week 8+ Return
Bye Week 9
Det
Knee injury
Week 6
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
Questionable Week 9
Phi
Hamstring strain
Week 1
Week-to-Week
Week 10+ Return
Bye Week 9
Ind
Right shoulder injury
Week 6
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
Bye Week 9
NYJ
Foot fracture fixation
Late July 2018
Designated to Return
Week 9 Return
 Week 9 Return
Wide Receivers Injured | On the Active Roster
Player
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
LAR
Left MCL sprain
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Cin
Toe injury
Week 8
 Day-to-Day Week 10 Return Bye Week 9
KC
Groin strain
Week 8
 Awaiting Information Awaiting Information Questionable Week 9
Dal
Concussion
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week 9 Return Probable Week 9
Robby Anderson
NYJ
Ankle injury
Week 7
 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
NYJ
Right high ankle sprain
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week 10+ Return Doubtful Week 9
Will Fuller
Hou
Right ACL tear
Week 8
 Injured reserve (exp) IR | 2019 return Out for Season
Hou
Hamstring strain aggravation
Week 7
 Day-to-Day Week 9 Return Questionable Week 9
Allen Robinson
Chi
Groin strain
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Mia
Groin strain
Week 7
 Day-to-Day Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
SF
Shoulder / Knee injuries
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Was
Knee injury
Week 5
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Ind
Left high ankle sprain
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Bye Week 9
Dal
Groin strain
Week 6
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Cin
Groin strain aggravation
Week 7
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Bye Week 9
Car
Knee injury
Week 7
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Cle
MCL sprain
Week 5
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Den
Right MCL sprain
Week 7
 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Tight Ends Injured | On the Active Roster
Player
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Cin
Right foot fracture
Week 5
Week-to-Week
Week 10++ Return
 Bye Week 9
Hou
Illness
Week 6
Day-to-Day
Day-to-Day
 Questionable Week 9
Ind
Knee injury
Week 6
Week-to-Week
Week 9+ Return
 Bye Week 9
Dal
Right knee injury
Week 7
Week-to-Week
Week 10+ Return
 Doubtful Week 9
Mia
Knee injury
Week 3
Week-to-Week
Week-to-Week
 Questionable Week 9
Offensive Linemen Injured | On the Active Roster
Tackles
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Lane Johnson Phi Left MCL sprain Week 8 Week-to-Week Week 10++ Return Bye Week 9
Trent Williams Was Thumb dislocation Week 8 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Riley Reiff Min Foot injury Week 5 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Marcus Gilbert Pit Knee injury Week 7 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Marcus Cannon NE Concussion Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Jared Veldheer Den Knee injury Week 4 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
James Hurst Bal Back injury Week 7 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Guards
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Clint Boling Cin Back injury Week 8 Awaiting Information Awaiting Information Bye Week 9
Kelechi Osemele Oak Knee injury Week 4 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Kyle Long Chi Right foot injury Week 8 Awaiting Information Awaiting Information Doubtful Week 9
Tom Compton Min Right MCL sprain (? ACL) Week 7 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Alex Lewis Bal Neck injury Week 6 Day-to-Day Week 11 Return Doubtful Week 9
Quinton Spain Ten Shoulder injury Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Zach Fulton Hou Ankle injury Week 5 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Eric Kush Chi Neck injury Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Centers
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Mitch Morse KC Concussion Week 6 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Weston Richburg SF Knee injury Week 7 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Billy Price Cin Foot injury Week 2 Week-to-Week Week 10+ Return Bye Week 9
Defensive Players Injured | On the Active Roster
Edge Rushers
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Khalil Mack Chi Right ankle sprain Week 6 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Joey Bosa LAC Left foot contusion PS Week 1 Week-to-Week Week 10++ Return Doubtful Week 9
Justin Houston KC Hamstring strain Week 5 Week-to-Week Week 9+ Return Questionable Week 9
Ezekiel Ansah Det Shoulder injury Week 1 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Carl Lawson Cin Right ACL tear Week 8 Injured reserve (exp) IR | 2019 return
Derrick Morgan Ten Shoulder injury Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Defensive Linemen
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Gerald McCoy TB Calf strain Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Doubtful Week 9
Eddie Vanderdoes Oak ACL reconstruction Early January 2018 PUP | Resumed practicing Week-to-Week
Tyquan Lewis Ind Foot injury Preseason Designated to return Week-to-Week Bye Week 9
Linebackers
Team
Injury
Date
Player/Team Says
FBG Expects
Notes
Joe Schobert Cle Hamstring strain Week 6 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Questionable Week 9
Reuben Foster SF Hamstring strain Week 8 Awaiting Information Awaiting Information Questionable Week 9
Vontaze Burfict Cin Left hip injury Week 7 Week-to-Week Week-to-Week Photos provided by Imagn Images
Tags:
Injuries Kwon Alexander Josh Allen Ricardo Allen Robbie Chosen Tavon Austin Derek Barnett Anthony Barr Giovani Bernard Joey Bosa Rex Burkhead Dalvin Cook Amari Cooper Keke Coutee Jamison Crowder Zach Cunningham Darqueze Dennard Will Dissly D'Onta Foreman Leonard Fournette Devonta Freeman Royce Freeman Will Fuller V Jimmy Garoppolo Melvin Gordon III A.J. Green Ryan Griffin Vernon Hargreaves III D.J. Hayden Hunter Henry Rashard Higgins Tyreek Hill Anthony Hitchens Mack Hollins Malik Hooker Justin Houston Mike Hughes Marlon Humphrey Deion Jones Ronald Jones II Tyler Kroft Jake Kumerow Cooper Kupp Carl Lawson Tyquan Lewis Khalil Mack Gerald McCoy Jerick McKinnon Rodney McLeod Jr. Sony Michel Terrance Mitchell Keanu Neal Alec Ogletree Xavier Rhodes Allen Robinson II Bradley Roby John Ross Joe Schobert Andrew Sendejo Adam Shaheen M.J. Stewart Kenny Stills Geoff Swaim Ryan Tannehill Jason Verrett Nick Vigil Kyzir White Albert Wilson Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Share This Article