Cooper Kupp WR, Rams: MCL sprain
The scariest looking injury of the weekend was to Cooper Kupp. He was illegally tackled from behind on a horse collar tackle, causing his left leg to get stuck underneath him. He was carted off with what looked like a potential season-ending knee or ankle injury. Kupp somehow returned to the game but saw the field for just a few snaps in the second half. An MRI on Monday showed an MCL sprain, which is a fairly good result all things considered. Kupp is unlikely to play week 7 and could miss more time. Inside Injuries had Kupp at an Elevated Injury Risk before the knee injury, and now he is a High Injury Risk (29%). A grade 2 (moderate) MCL sprain comes with a 4 week Optimal Recovery Time. MCL injuries rarely require surgery and heal fairly well on their own with rest and rehab. Still, it’s important for him to take the necessary time to recover so he can be healthy the second half of the season instead of battling a lingering knee injury. This is similar to the MCL sprain that forced Doug Baldwin to miss a month early in the season.
Josh Gordon WR, Patriots: shoulder injury
Gordon left briefly after a hard fall on his shoulder but was cleared to return to the game. This shouldn’t be a lingering concern, although he could miss some practice time this week if he is dealing with some soreness. His hamstring will remain a lingering concern as this is a highly recurrent injury, but for now it shouldn’t hurt his performance on the field as his HPF (Health Performance Factor) has improved to Peak.
Calvin Ridley WR, Falcons: ankle bone bruise
Ridley wasn’t able to finish the Falcons game Sunday after leaving with an ankle injury. An MRI came back clean, meaning there was no ligament damage. Ridley was diagnosed with a bone bruise to his ankle. Inside Injuries is showing a 2-4 week Optimal REcovery Time for this injury. If mild he shouldn’t miss more than a game or two. His Injury Risk remains Low (12%), an indication that this isn’t something that should lead to additional injury concerns or become a long term issue.
Mohamed Sanu WR, Falcons: hip injury
The Falcons lost Ridley early in their win Sunday, and soon after Sanu also left with an injury. His status going forward remains unclear after aggravating a hip injury. Sanu missed some practice time last week and may not be available for their week 7 Monday night showdown with the Giants. Hip strains are one of those tricky injuries for a WR, and he has a concerning history of lower body strains. That includes knee, hamstring and groin injuries in recent years. With an Elevated Injury Risk (20%) and a Below Average HPF (63%), Sanu could have a tough time if plays.
Matt Bryant K, Falcons: hamstring strain
A 57 yard kick late in the 4th quarter was huge for the Falcons, but it came at a cost. Bryant suffered a hamstring strain on the play and is not going to be available week 7. The Falcons will be forced to try out some kickers this week. With a five week Optimal Recovery Time for a moderate hamstring strain, we may not see Bryant until late November. Any sort of lower body muscular strain is especially troublesome for a kicker (see Greg Zuerlein’s groin strain), and it isn’t something that they can really return from before it is fully healed, unlike other positions.
Tavon Austin WR, Cowboys: groin strain
Austin injured his groin on a second half run and was clearly in a lot of pain. He is unlikely to play week 7, which makes sense considering how slow groin strains are to heal. Even a mild strain needs at least 2 weeks, but a moderate strain needs closer to 5 weeks to heal. The Cowboys have a bye week 8, so the earliest we will see him back is week 9. When he does return, he will continue to be a desperation fantasy play and shouldn’t be rostered in any leagues.
Josh Allen QB, Bills: UCL sprain
Allen could be looking at a lengthy absence after damaging the UCL in his throwing elbow. Allen was hit from behind, causing the injury. He tried to stay in the game and made one more throw but was wincing in pain. Allen was seen with the medical staff having the valgus stress test done, which clearly bothered him. That’s an immediate sign that there is damage to the UCL. The question now is how much damage is there. A moderate sprain (meaning there is a partial ligament tear) should sideline him for at least 4 weeks, but if the tear is significant he could be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. That’s of course the worst case scenario and doesn’t seem like the likely outcome for now, but it is a possibility. If he needs surgery, he could miss all of the 2019 season as well.
Amari Cooper WR, Raiders: ribs injury
Cooper was on the receiving end of a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit that appeared to knock him out. He remained down for a few minutes before being helped off of the field by trainers. He was later ruled out for the game with a concussion. Cooper also suffered a concussion in November last season and missed one game, so that’s two within a year, a major concern. He shouldn’t suit up week 7 even if he clears concussion protocol. The Raiders are also shopping Cooper, so his short and long term outlooks are murky.
Baker Mayfield QB, Browns: ankle sprain
Mayfield continued his impressive rookie season on Sunday by fighting through an ankle injury. He didn’t have his best day, but he proved his toughness by basically playing on one leg. Mayfield is not expected to miss any time, but he will need to see how his ankle responds to treatment throughout the week. He will be battling significant soreness and swelling ahead of week 7. The first quarter injury clearly hampered Mayfield’s mobility for the rest of the game- expect more of that if he does suit up as expected next Sunday. With a Below average HPF, our algorithm is predicting that he will struggle.
Quincy Enunwa WR, Jets: ankle sprain
A concerning ankle injury ended Enunwa’s day early on Sunday, and it is expected to lead to a multi-week absence. An MRI showed a high ankle sprain, which comes with a 4-6 week Optimal Recovery Time. High ankle sprains are more severe than a standard ankle sprain and are very slow to heal. His Injury Risk moved from 46%, which was already very high, to 51% and it may not return back to the Elevated Injury Risk category (>24%) until the end of the season. Enunwa also missed the 2017 season following neck surgery, so he has a troubling injury history.
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