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Inseason injury coverage

Footballguys will again provide comprehensive injury coverage during the regular season.

My writing and podcast schedule will include:

Monday Injury Rounds > Published as soon as complete Sunday night and updated through Tuesday morning, this feature will review all the major injuries from the weekend's games, provide follow up analysis on injured players who have yet to return to play, and project when every injured player will return.

Waiver Wire Podcast > Tuesday morning release reviewing all injuries at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions with Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom heading into your weekly waiver run.

Midweek Injury Expectations > Published late Wednesday night after the first weekly practice participation report and updated through Thursday's practice report, this feature will detail the current practice participation of every listed player and project the likelihood each player will play in the coming week.

Thursday Live Audible podcast > Joining Cecil Lammey, Sigmund Bloom, and Matt Waldman at 900 ET every Thursday night for a comprehensive Q&A updating all player injuries.

Gameday Injury Expectations > Published Saturday, this feature will review the practice status of every injured player, provide analysis on player/coach/beat writer comments throughout the week, and discuss how likely and how effective each injured player will be on Sunday.

Injury Rounds

Tyreek Hill | Right sternoclavicular joint dislocation | Week 1 | 4-6+ Weeks | Out Week 2

Hill suffered a posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation on Sunday. This means the end of his collarbone nearest his breastbone was forced out of place toward his chest cavity. It's a rare, painful, and potentially life-threatening injury due to the major blood vessels lying directly under the joint. Hill's collarbone was reportedly successfully put back into place in the hospital without surgery and without damage to those nearby structures.

Ian Rapoport tweeted Hill is expected to "miss a few weeks."

While the injury is rare, there are a handful of NFL players who have returned to play after injuries to the SC joint.

• Danny Amendola (posterior dislocation) 2012 >> out five weeks
• Ben Roethlisberger (sprain) 2012 >> out four weeks
• Jake Kumerow (sprain) 2018 >> Packers elected to use injured reserve - return
• Darqueze Dennard (anterior dislocation) >> out five weeks

Hill will stay overnight in Jacksonville to ensure there are no complications from the injury before flying back to Kansas City. The Chiefs play a Thursday night game on the road in Denver in five and a half weeks. It's possible Hill returns sooner, but the Week 7 matchup in Denver may be a more reasonable target.

Patrick Mahomes II | Left high ankle sprain | Week 1 | Day-to-Day | Probable Week 2

Mahomes had his left leg caught under a defensive lineman during the second quarter. Though not a violent mechanism, video replay strongly suggests a low-grade high ankle sprain. It's an injury many position players struggle to play through but it shouldn't significantly hamper Mahomes, who plays primarily from the pocket. Swelling and stiffness over the next 24-48 hours may force the Chiefs to limit Mahomes in practice this week, but expect him to be available in Week 2.

Derrius Guice | Right knee injury | Week 1 | Week-to-Week | Doubtful Week 2

Ian Rapoport tweeted Guice will undergo an MRI on his right knee and is likely to miss some time. Guice tore the ACL in his left knee last August and had recovered to take the lead running back role in Washington despite an infection after reconstructive surgery.

Rapoport implied Guice injured his right knee in college. There were reports of a hyperextension knee injury in August of 2017 at LSU but no further details. At least one local writer believed Guice was favoring his left knee during that season. However, there's been no specific information reported on that college injury and trusted draft analyst Dane Brugler did not comment on which knee or provide a specific diagnostic concern in his 2018 draft guide.

Local writer JP Finlay tweeted Guice "might get stem cell therapy" to treat the knee condition. If accurate, it suggests Guice is dealing with a degenerative cartilage condition. Flare ups with these conditions -- as we've seen with Todd Gurley, Sony Michel, Jerick McKinnon, and many, many others -- are always a risk. Now bordering on speculating on speculation, I'll update further if Rapoport's tweeted fears of missed time prove correct.

Monday update: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Guice is "dealing with a meniscus injury he hopes is a strain and a few weeks recovery." That report does not pass medical muster. The meniscus is a shock absorbing tissue covering the joint surfaces in the knee. It can be torn, but cannot be strained. While that may seem like semantics, it prompts further questioning of the report. The "few weeks" recovery is also questionable. Trimming a fragment of torn meniscus is usually a 3-4 week recovery, repairing a torn fragment requires a 3-4+ month rehab. Regardless, Guice remains doubtful for Week 2 and likely longer.

Fast Track News and Notes

***JuJu Smith-Schuster was tackled late in the Steelers' blowout loss and suffered a toe injury. He told reporters after the game he would be available in Week 2. He may have additional testing today. Monday update: Ian Rapoport tweeted Smith-Schuster "is going to be fine" after a negative x-ray.

***Nick Foles will have surgery on his broken left collarbone on Monday. Surgical fixation sometimes shortens the recovery from a fractured collarbone but expect Foles to be out a minimum of 6-8 weeks. The Jaguars have an international trip in eight weeks, then a bye week before a divisional matchup in Indianapolis in Week 11. It won't be surprising if the Jaguars choose injured reserve with the hope of returning Foles in Week 11. Monday update: The Jaguars will place Foles on injured reserve. His earliest return will be Week 11.

***Joe Mixon had his foot and ankle turned during the third quarter. There was no video evidence of a high ankle sprain. Zac Taylor told reporters he wasn't sure about Mixon's status after the game. Monday update: Per Tom Pelissero, Mixon's MRI was reassuring and he has a chance to play in Week 2.

***The Niners appear to be preparing to be without Tevin Coleman for multiple weeks. Coleman suffered an ankle injury while pass protecting in the second quarter but there were no clear television angles showing the injury. Coleman will have an MRI on Monday and Kyle Shanahan was already discussing the possibility of bringing a running back up from the practice squad after the game. Monday update: Coleman was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. The Niners do not expect him to be available. High ankle sprains commonly require 3-4 weeks to rehab. The Niners have a Week 4 bye, putting Coleman's earliest likely return in Week 5.

***Baker Mayfield suffered a right wrist injury. X-rays were reportedly negative and Mayfield told reporters he would "be fine." Injuries to a quarterback's throwing shoulder, elbow, or wrist are always worrisome, however, and Mayfield's progress should be watched closely this week.

***Mike Williams suffered a right knee injury. Television angles were inconclusive. Williams did not return to a close game that went to overtime. I'll update his condition on Monday.

***Devin Funchess landed on his left side and immediately reached for the front of his upper chest. That's generally more suspicious for a collarbone injury than a shoulder injury. Colts' beat writer Stephen Holder tweeted that Funchess had "no use of his left arm...after the game" and shared a concern that the injury was not minor. Sunday update: Tom Pelissero tweeted Funchess fractured his collarbone. Expect him to miss 6-8+ weeks. Monday update: Funchess will be placed on injured reserve. His earliest return will be in Week 11.

***Dante Pettis fully practiced last week and was not included on the Niners' game status report. He played only three snaps on Sunday, a decision Kyle Shanahan implied was at least partially related to Pettis' groin injury.

Follow Up Appointments

A.J. Green | Left Ankle injury | Late July 2019 | Week-to-Week | Week 4+ Return

Specifics on Green's ankle injury and surgical procedure are still unknown. Shortly after his surgical procedure, Dave Lapham, the Bengals' radio color commentator, former offensive lineman, and reasonable and trusted source suggested the team had targeted the Week 4 Monday night game in Pittsburgh as a possible return date for Green.

That's looking less and less likely now.

On Sunday, Green was photographed on the field in Seattle -- still immobilized in a walking boot nearly six weeks after ankle surgery. While the Bengals seemed optimistic about Green's early-season availability when they chose not to put him on injured reserve to start the season, it's looking less and less likely Green will be ready for the Pittsburgh game in three weeks.

INJURED PLAYERS ON ACTIVE ROSTER