Pro Football Doc, Dr. David Chao, analyzes the key injuries from Week 11 and examines their chances of playing in Week 12.
Michael Penix - Knee
The question here is, I can tell you this: on that play, there is no way that Penix retore his ACL. What they're saying about the ACL has to be related to previous surgery where perhaps the ACL is already not 100% and now they're saying, well, is it time with the PCL laxity, it's going to stress the ACL more? It doesn't look 100%. Are we better off doing something about it now? And that's to be determined. I have not seen his MRI. I have not examined Michael Penix. I don't believe Michael Penix - if he had a new or normal ACL, we would be talking about the ACL today. We're only talking about the ACL in construct with the PCL injury. The PCL is the new injury, but if the ACL prevents your knee from shifting forward and the PCL prevents your knee from shifting back, one can imagine if your ACL isn't 100% tight. And this is speculation slash analysis on my part - injury analysis, not reporting - not uncommon after an ACL reconstruction. He's known to have his problems on his left knee before.
Drake London - Knee
If there's any bone bruise component, like Michael Pennix or like Brock Bowers. I don't think it's gonna be surgical. And, look, can it be only 1 week, miss Week 12? It's possible. Drake London is quite a talent, but imagine. And I don't even know at this second who the Falcons play this week. Who do the Falcons play? The Falcons play the Saints. OK, divisional game, yes. If they get by the Saints, if, but if they lose to the Saints, that may be. Take your time, Drake London.
Josh Jacobs - Knee
If he has no structural damage and it’s just some swelling, why is he considered week-to-week instead of day-to-day? “No structural damage that requires surgery” only means there’s nothing severe enough to operate on. Isaiah Pacheco has missed several weeks with “no structural damage” as well - it still means a sprain, and a sprain is structural damage. Regardless, it’s still good news for Josh Jacobs. We didn’t see anything definitive on video, which is encouraging, but week-to-week makes sense. He’s even on my fantasy team, so I’d love for him to play, but realistically, I don’t think he’ll be available against the Vikings this week.
Lane Johnson - Lisfranc
I think he's gonna head to IR, I think. It's a good scenario for the Eagles if he's back by the playoffs. And the Cowboys will not have to face Lane Johnson. Liz, Frank, the Cowboys play next Sunday in, I guess, six days - six or seven days - stop. I know it's in my brain every time I see it, yeah, and we have little kids that are saying it all around the house. Yeah, they're saying it, but anyway, he is not going to face the Cowboys.
Jaylen Warren - Ankle
He got rolled up on funny, an inversion ankle sprain, returned for one play, and then was out. I don't see this as long-term. Even Jalen Warren’s fairly standard sprained ankle - we can call it a basketball-type ankle sprain where you turn your ankle - has structural damage there too. Let's not get it twisted: it's a sprained anterior talofibular ligament. It's a standard inversion basketball sprain. Will he play this week? Leaning toward no, but not impossible. Is he going to hit IR? I sincerely doubt it. Sincerely doubt it.
Aaron Rodgers - Wrist
It’s totally possible that the type of slight fracture he has - whether it’s the scaphoid or distal radius - is the kind of injury you or I wouldn’t need surgery for. Normally, we’d wear a larger cast or splint. But for Aaron Rodgers to function, he’ll need something much smaller. That’s where surgery comes into play. A screw or small plate could provide enough stability for doctors to allow a slimmer splint. Surgery does not automatically mean he’s headed to IR; in fact, it could be the opposite - something done to speed up his return.
I can’t give a firm prediction on when he’ll be back until we know which bone is broken and more specifics, and that information isn’t public yet. But based on the analysis, Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to land on injured reserve. Whether or not he undergoes surgery remains to be seen, but if he does, don’t panic - it wouldn’t mean his season is over. It would be a procedure intended to help him return faster with a smaller, more functional splint.
Bucky Irving - Foot/Shoulder
This is the first week that Bucky Irving has a chance to play. I'm not expecting him to play, but this is the first week with a chance.
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