The following will be a quick-hitting recall of last week’s previous injuries with any tidbits of news or assessment that can be gleaned during the early stages of the week. This article exists to cover only new injuries as most weeks some player injuries end up slipping through the cracks or are just relevant enough to crop up in a meaningful way down the road. Later this week the Injury Report will be published that will include all player injuries new and old.
Running Backs
Tarik Cohen- ACL
Unfortunately, another one bites the dust and Cohen is done for the year.
{{Chris Carson|RB|SEA}- Knee
I tend to shy away from criticizing players but this play was completely uncalled for and has no place in the game. Although the Seahawks are calling this a “sprain” there are only a handful of possibilities this could be and that includes an MCL sprain. Carroll quickly stating Carson will be out one to two weeks followed up by immediately backtracking to say “we’ll see how he feels” seems more like gamesmanship than an actual projection. Nevertheless, Carson will be out three weeks at worst. Watch his practice status this week.
Jerick McKinnon- “Upper” Ribs
It’s weird they’re using the phrase “upper” ribs because 1. There are 12 human ribs -- what defines upper? The first three? The top 6? The top two, one of which is behind the clavicle? This is a goofy way to describe a ribs injury and shrouds it in a bit of (potentially unnecessary) mystery. Well, I really don’t have another point to make but this is one to watch as we just witnessed Cam Akers sit out from this painful injury. There’s also a chance the Niners simply took the foot of the gas at the end of the game. Watch his practice status moving forward.
Wide Receivers
Chris Godwin- Hamstring
Godwin getting an MRI isn’t an ideal sign. Depending on the severity, Godwin could miss 13 days, which is the average amount of missed games for NFL players. When calculated for games missed, it was 2.6. So, worst-case scenario Godiwn misses three games.
Russell Gage- Concussion
This is Gage’s second concussion in as many seasons and as I mentioned after he entered protocol in Week One, “clearing” protocol means, well, that you cleared protocol. It doesn’t implicitly mean the player didn’t suffer some sort of brain damage. I’m not certain he makes it back in time for this one, but crazier things have happened.
Diontae Johnson- Concussion
His second in as many seasons. It’s not a slam dunk he’ll be back by Week Four but watch his practice status.
John Brown
Brown suffered a calf injury in Week Three. Return to play time for 27 NFL players after a calf injury was 17 days, but the standard deviation was 14. In other words, Brown could be back by next week or miss the next three weeks. He’ll be one to watch this week.
Michael Pittman- Calf
Pittman is fortunate to have gotten such quick care after suffering compartment syndrome- the same type of injury Tyler Lockett had last year. However, his was much more severe and he did indeed need surgery. Look for Pittman to be back between five and six weeks if not longer.
DeSean Jackson- Hamstring
Reports are that it’s minor but even so it’s hard to see a 33-year-old receiver come back in a week and be productive. Especially given the fact that last year coming back too quickly may have attributed to his ultimate IR stint.
Mike Williams- Hamstring
Williams has a history of a herniated disc too, so I wonder how much back pain and neural tension in his legs might be impacting him. Hope for the best and plan for the best on Williams.
Tight Ends
Dallas Goedert- Ankle
Immediate negative reports from a usually overly-optimistic Doug Pederson makes it seem that this is the dreaded high ankle sprain. Plan to be without him for the next 2-3 weeks.
Jared Cook- Groin
The best-case scenario for Cook is obviously that he comes back to play in Week Four. The worst-case scenario is he’s out the next four to eight weeks. The realistic timeline? Somewhere in the middle at 2-3 weeks as of now. Monitor the 33-year-old tight end’s practice report closely as it will be evident quickly how much activity he can handle.
Jordan Reed- Ankle
San Fran has come out and said the injuries to his knee and ankle aren’t serious, but it’s always hard to decipher severity with Reed.
