Even with playoff football, the injuries do not stop. The fantasy football season may be over, but for those betting, playing in playoff fantasy football or just following their favorite teams, here are the major injuries from this past weekend.
Key: Position Player, Team | Injury | Timeline
Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco | Knee | End of Regular Season
Isaac Gureendo ( like every 49ers RB this season) was unable to finish Sunday's game due to a knee injury. Reports out of San Francisco suggest that Guerendo has a possible MCL sprain.
#49ers fear Isaac Guerendo suffered MCL injury#FTTB #SFvsAz
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) January 6, 2025
Read:https://t.co/XEmfjhQyPv
These injuries can be tricky to manage in-season, but with the 49ers eliminated from the playoff race, Guerendo will have a full season to recover. Assuming Guerendo's ACL was not involved in this injury, I would not expect this injury to affect the rookie RB heading into 2025.
Blake Corum, LA Rams | Forearm | Out for Playoffs
Blake Corum fractured his forearm Sunday. Corum may need surgery to stabilize the fracture site. Regardless of how far the Rams progress through the playoffs, Corum will be done for the season. Kyren Williams witnessed Corum eat into some of his workload the past few weeks, but the veteran RB should have the Rams' backfield to himself when the Rams square off with the Vikings on Monday.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore | Knee | Projecting 4-Week Absence at Minimum
Zay Flowers was the recipient of friendly fire after a Ravens offensive lineman, Andrew Vorhees, fell on Flowers' right leg. It is possible that Flowers suffered a lateral collateral ligament sprain (LCL) and/or a meniscus injury.
Oh no… Zay Flowers is down with what appears to be a knee injury.
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 4, 2025
Hoping this isnt serious.
pic.twitter.com/g3VVbdxivh
LCL sprains are the less common of knee sprains. Therefore, I do not have a lot of data on this injury. Even when minor, LCL sprains carry a similar timeline to MCL sprains (~4 weeks). Moderate to severe sprains may require surgery. We are still awaiting the official word from Baltimore, but it is possible that Flowers will miss most, if not all, of the playoffs. He is unlikely to play in the Ravens' Wild Card matchup with Pittsburgh.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati | Ankle | End of Regular Season
Tee Higgins exited Saturday's game early with an ankle injury. Higgins was Questionable heading into Week 18 with the same injury.
Post-game, Higgins revealed that he was playing through a high ankle sprain - a difficult injury to play through. Like Isaac Guerendo (above) Higgins injury and timeline for recovery does not matter since the Bengals were also eliminated from playoff contention.
Jordan Love, Green Bay | Hand | Projecting to Return Next Week
Jordan Love was pulled as a precaution Sunday after injuring his elbow. All indications out of Green Bay are that Love's injury was minor, so you have permission to exhale Packer fans.
Love's injury looks very similar to Brock Purdy's from last week, where Love likely irritated his ulnar nerve. This type of injury can cause temporary numbness or tingling in the hand but does not carry any long-term concerns.
Christian Watson, Green Bay | Knee | Possibly Season Ending
Christian Watson, who was Questionable heading into Week 18, appears to have reaggravated his knee injury.
Monday Ian Rapoport revealed that the Packers are concerned about an ACL tear. Confirmation of this injury would end mean that Watson would not return for the NFL playoffs and it is possible his recovery could bleed into 2025/26 season as well.
