This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
After weeks of limited injury news, the flood gates opened this week as training camps across the league got underway. Sadly the slate of news wasn't all positive as a number of athletes have already sustained season-ending injuries, making them non-factors for the 2020 season.
The 49ers receivers is one of the biggest names to go down in the first days of camp. Hurd, who missed the entire 2019 season with a stress fracture in his lower back, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Now the former third-round pick will once again have his professional debut pushed back a year. The timing of the injury does have a small silver lining. In-season ACL tears often carry over into the following year, impacting two separate campaigns. Hurd will have ample time to complete his rehab protocol and should be able to return for the start of 2021. Trent Taylor, Dante Pettis and Jaron Brown will each get a shot at moving up the depth chart with Hurd lost for the year.
Hurd isn't the only San Francisco wideout spending time in the athletic training room, as teammate Samuel continues to work his way back from an injury of his own. Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in left foot over the summer that need surgery to mend. Samuel's injury has previously been discussed here but let's do a quick refresher.
Jones fractures involve the fifth metatarsal of the foot, the outside bone
After weeks of limited injury news, the flood gates opened this week as training camps across the league got underway. Sadly the slate of news wasn't all positive as a number of athletes have already sustained season-ending injuries, making them non-factors for the 2020 season.
The 49ers receivers is one of the biggest names to go down in the first days of camp. Hurd, who missed the entire 2019 season with a stress fracture in his lower back, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Now the former third-round pick will once again have his professional debut pushed back a year. The timing of the injury does have a small silver lining. In-season ACL tears often carry over into the following year, impacting two separate campaigns. Hurd will have ample time to complete his rehab protocol and should be able to return for the start of 2021. Trent Taylor, Dante Pettis and Jaron Brown will each get a shot at moving up the depth chart with Hurd lost for the year.
Hurd isn't the only San Francisco wideout spending time in the athletic training room, as teammate Samuel continues to work his way back from an injury of his own. Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in left foot over the summer that need surgery to mend. Samuel's injury has previously been discussed here but let's do a quick refresher.
Jones fractures involve the fifth metatarsal of the foot, the outside bone of the foot located just below the pinkie toe. Jones fractures are common injuries among NFL wide receivers with players like Julio Jones, Julian Edelman and DeVante Parker suffering the injury in recent seasons. Recovery is often measured in months, not weeks, and patience is often needed to minimize the risk of re-injury or complications with the surgical hardware.
Coach Kyle Shanahan recently admitted it seems unlikely Samuel is ready for the start of the regular season. The receiver is currently on the Active/Non-Football injury list and seems poised to miss the first six games of the year. Fortunately, the 49ers have an intriguing prospect looking to help ease the loss of Samuel. Rookie Brandon Aiyuk, the team's first selection in the 2020 draft, has impressed in practice and is making a case for fantasy consideration.
Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert
The Eagles are taking a page out of the Patriots' playbook, providing vague injury updates on significant players. The team's top running back is considered "week-to-week" with an undisclosed lower body injury. Philadelphia has attempted to downplay the issue, saying the problem is "not too serious" and shouldn't keep Sanders out of the lineup for Week 1. However, the two approaches are a bit contradictory as any injury that could sideline a player for multiple weeks should be considered serious. I would downgrade Sanders a bit on my draft board until the situation becomes a little bit easier to decipher. Corey Clement has received extra practice reps with Sanders out. Boston Scott, another member of the Philly backfield, is also out with a lower body injury.
The Eagles have taken a similar approach with Goedert, listing the tight end as out with an upper body injury. There's been no confirmation of the severity of Goedert's injury and he's currently listed as day-to-day.
Turf Burns
A.J. Green: The Bengals receiver made an early exit from practice on Monday after "tweaking" a hamstring. I've never been a huge fan of the term tweak, but it's generally used to describe a low-grade sprain or strain. Cincinnati is taking a conservative approach with the veteran's health and will provide ample time off to allow the injury to heal. Green missed all of the 2019 season following an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery to fix. With a growing injury history and Father Time working against him, Green will enter the year with significant inherent injury risk.
Will Fuller: Fuller is another wide receiver entering the year with an elevated level of injury risk. However, the Texans wideout seems aware of these concerns and took a proactive approach to helping mitigate some of this risk in the offseason. Since being drafted, Fuller has missed more than 20 regular-season games due to myriad of injuries, including an ACL tear, a broken collarbone and recurring hamstring issues. He started the offseason by undergoing surgery on a groin injury that bothered him in the 2019 season. During his recovery, he enlisted the help of a trainer who helped identify and correct issues in his biomechanics with the hope of fixing his long standing problems with the muscles in his lower extremities. The news is encouraging, but a stretch of sustained health would go further in proving to fantasy investors that he can be counted on for the 2020 campaign.
Nick Chubb: Cleveland fans were understandably concerned when Chubb was helped off the field by the team's medical staff. Fortunately, the injury was not a season-ender, as the final diagnosis was a concussion. The Browns running back will now be required to complete the NFL's mandated return to play protocol that includes the end of all symptoms and eventual clearance by an independent neurologist. Chubb is reportedly making progress and should return to the field in the near future.
Preston Williams: The Colorado State product continues to work his way back from last season's ACL tear. He has been cleared to resume playing but remains in a designed maintenance program. The hope is that by easing him back to full speed, Williams will be able to not only start the season but finish as well. Anyone opting to draft Williams should be willing to play the long game. Some early-season struggles should be anticipated, but I suspect his numbers and productivity to improve as the season progresses.
Alex Smith: Normally much of my writing tends to be heavy on the doom-and-gloom, so anytime I can spotlight a success story I get particularly excited. While Smith isn't likely to make a sizeable impact on the fantasy landscape, his recent return to the practice field is worth spotlighting. The Washington quarterback suffered a gruesome leg injury during the 2018 season that involved fractures to his tibia and fibula. Smith developed an infection following the initial surgery that resulted in life-threatening sepsis. Fortunately, doctors were able to save his life and his leg after 17 surgeries and a year in an external fixation device. There are lingering effects of his experience, including drop foot, but seeing Smith back on the football field is inspiring. Here's to hoping he gets chance to play at a high level again.
