RADIO
It's Week 15, and unfortunately, we have an absolutely stacked injury update for you this week. There are a ton of key players in fantasy football that are dealing with injuries heading into the first round of the fantasy playoffs. This late in the season, it's not a surprise that so many guys are dealing with various health issues.
The NFL is a brutal sport, and with nearly four months of play in the books, the constant rigors of the sport catch up to many players. The risk of serious ailments also goes up steadily as time goes on. Players have joints or ligaments wear down, end up on the receiving side of big hits or falls, or even suffer unusual problems.
Let's dive into this week's biggest injury news.
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Joe Burrow Injury Update
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist, knee) is apparently dealing with wrist and knee issues heading into Week 15. He had surgery last season to correct a ligament tear in the wrist of his throwing arm, and the recovery has been a long process for him. He's played through whatever pain he still has to great effect, though.
INJURY REPORT: @Bengals held a walkthrough on Wednesday
Joe Burrow (right wrist/knee) listed as a limited participant
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) December 11, 2024
The knee problem he has is apparently just "soreness", but Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is infamous to fantasy managers for his previous handling of wide receiver Tee Higgins' injury problems. Many who play fantasy football remember when Higgins was "day-to-day" while missing multiple weeks of games.
Still, there aren't reports that Burrow's dealing with any serious injuries, so we expect him to play in Week 15, but keep your eyes out for further developments.
Breece Hall Injury Update
New York Jets running back Breece Hall is dealing with the knee issue that hobbled him in Week 13 and held him out of play in Week 14 altogether. This malady may actually be serious, and while Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich expressed that Hall wouldn't be shut down for the season, there's a chance he could miss even more time.
#Jets injury report: CB Sauce Gardner, who missed last week, confirmed that he will play vs. JAX. It’s wait-and-see on RB Breece Hall, but he’s “struggling a bit” with his injury, Ulbrich said earlier. pic.twitter.com/3VZrcpJF4K
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 11, 2024
Ulbrich stated on Wednesday that the third-year pro was "struggling a bit" with his knee issue. He was also held out of practice that day, which doesn't bode well for his availability in Week 15. Fantasy managers may not have one of the first tailbacks off the board in 2024 for the pivotal Week 15 matchup.
You may need to snag someone else off of free agency or be ready to sub Hall out of your lineups.
Bucky Irving Injury Update
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is dealing with back and hip issues. The hip problem he picked up after his monster performance in Week 13, and he entered Week 14 with a back malady that he re-aggravated during the game, causing him to be pulled after playing just 16% of the offensive snaps.
INJURY REPORT: Mike Evans (hamstring) and Bucky Irving (hip/back) miss Wednesday’s practice
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) December 11, 2024
Granted that he played through his injuries and wasn't able to finish the game last week, it seems like a good idea for the Bucs to let Buck rest. They're fighting hard for a playoff spot, but injuries are likely what had them fall behind a winning record in the first place. Only time will tell what they'll do, though.
Still, if you're a fantasy manager with Irving on any of your rosters, we hope you have a backup plan. His backup, RB Sean Tucker, is an interesting pickup, though it's likely the lead back, Rachaad White, will handle the majority of the backfield work if the rookie Irving can't go.
Justin Herbert Injury Update
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle, leg) didn't practice on Wednesday due to an ankle issue and a leg contusion. It's likely that the ankle problem is the same one he played through earlier in the season, which clearly hampered his performance. He hasn't played as well in his last three games.
Justin Herbert #chargers
Defender lands on his foot/ankle from the outside, common mechanism for a high ankle sprain and sometimes midfoot injury.
We’ll see if he can play through it. It’s his left foot so not the one he pushes off of pic.twitter.com/FJL1LQhh2E
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) December 9, 2024
He came up hobbling after this play, and it could have been the cause of one or both of his current injuries. Either way, this injury is simply one to monitor moving forward. We don't know enough about the scenario yet to draw any solid conclusions.
Tyreek Hill Injury Update
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (wrist) will continue to be limited in practices due to a wrist injury. He has a torn ligament in his wrist that he's playing through. He may also be playing through a lower body injury, which could explain his lack of production this season. But the wrist problem is nothing new.
INJURY REPORT: Tyreek Hill (wrist), Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), and Raheem Mostert (hip) were all limited participants on Wednesday
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) December 11, 2024
He should play. We're not too concerned about this. It's expected.
Alvin Kamara Injury Update
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (illness) is dealing with some kind of illness. He wasn't able to practice on Wednesday. Then again, he's not known for practicing on Wednesdays anyway. We're not sure what he has, but it could be the flu, or a cold, or something else minor.
RB Alvin Kamara is dealing with an illness. Kept him out of practice for precautionary reasons, Rizzi said he believes he’ll be back tomorrow. #Saints
— Erin Summers (@ErinESummers) December 11, 2024
Saints head coach Darren Rizzi expects him to be back on Thursday, so there's minimal concern here. People get sick sometimes. Yes, even NFL players.
Kenneth Walker III Injury Update
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (calf) recovered from the ankle injury that he was listed on the injury report with ahead of Week 14's contest. He continues to deal with a calf issue, though. Fortunately, additional tests that the team performed for this issue didn't turn up anything highly concerning.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald says tests on Kenneth Walker’s calf showed nothing serious and he is day to day. pic.twitter.com/0PaKn0UmZY
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) December 11, 2024
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald updated the media Wednesday, saying that he's considered "day-to-day" moving forward. However, he wasn't able to practice at all on Wednesday, putting his status for Week 15 in doubt. Considering as well backup RB Zach Charbonnet's masterful performance last week, the team may be in no hurry to rush Walker back.
We'd expect him to be held out of at least one more game. Calf injuries can be finicky things. While this is likely not a Christian McCaffrey situation, it's worth continuing to monitor. Fantasy managers who have Walker on their rosters should be ready to execute their backup plans.
Mike Evans Injury Update
Speaking of the Bucs, their star wide receiver, Mike Evans, continues to be held out of practices due to the hamstring issue that's been bothering him for much of the season now. He missed a three-game stretch from Weeks 8-10, returning in Week 12 and playing through the problem since then.
The Buccaneers have 19 players on their Week 15 injury list, 10 of whom were DNPs on Wednesday. That DNP list includes Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, and Antoine Winfield Jr. https://t.co/AJX6SYkMCW
— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) December 11, 2024
He's 31 years old, so it's no surprise that they're not making him practice in full during each of their training sessions. For now, we can take comfort in the fact that he's played the last three weeks, and there have been no reports of a setback yet.
Ladd McConkey Injury Update
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (knee/shoulder) is dealing with knee and shoulder issues ahead of his Sunday afternoon matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He wasn't able to play at all in Week 14, so there are significant concerns over his potential availability this weekend.
Ladd McConkey on the field today with a sleeve on his left leg, but not the brace he was wearing under his sweatpants last week. pic.twitter.com/LtHvVq7Vh5
— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) December 11, 2024
It's not 100% clear if it was the knee issue, the shoulder problem, or both that held him out of the previous game. He was wearing a compression sleeve on his left knee, but at least the brace came off. That's a good sign, but we can't be sure yet if he'll play. We have confidence he'll return in Week 16 at the latest, considering this news.
Trey McBride Injury Update
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (knee) is dealing with a knee problem, and participated in a limited fashion in his team's Wednesday practice. It's possible he picked this issue up in Week 14's game. He played 94% of the team's offensive snaps, so he could have been taken out for one play or so, but likely played through the issue anyway.
Cardinals TE Trey McBride was limited Wednesday with a knee injury. pic.twitter.com/6gNd3UO24Y
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 11, 2024
Considering that he finished the contest, we wouldn't expect McBride to be held out of Week 15. The Cards are 6-7 and still in the playoff hunt, so they're unlikely to shut him down for the season out of precaution. As will all injury issues, this is worth keeping an eye on, but we'll call it minimal concern.
Cedric Tillman Injury Update
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) has now missed two consecutive contests with a concussion that knocked him out of his Week 12 contest. He logged a limited practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign that he could return for Week 15.
#Browns WR Cedric Tillman returned to practice today. He's still working his way out of concussion protocol. pic.twitter.com/Yw0OI5kl6j
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 11, 2024
Typically, we don't see players miss more than two games after suffering their first documented concussion of the season, so it would be a surprise if he wasn't able to play. Fantasy managers should expect him to return. The ailment should have no continuing impact on his performance.
He should be fine.
Malik Nabers Injury Update
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (hip) is dealing with a hip problem. He played through the issue in Week 14, and was limited in practice on Wednesday. Considering that it wasn't reported that he re-aggravated anything, it seems likely that he'll be available on Sunday as well.
Brian Daboll says that there have not been any conversations about shutting down Malik Nabers with his injury: pic.twitter.com/AL7Whgf1NW
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 6, 2024
Giants head coach Brian Daboll indicated that there wasn't any talk about shutting him down for the season. Without news of a setback, there isn't much concern to be had here. They're just managing his ailments and letting him rest, as far as we know.
Jaylen Waddle Injury Update
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (hamstring) was a limited participant in his team's Wednesday practice ahead of Week 15 with a hamstring issue. This could be the same malady that had him pop up on previous injury reports this season. Since he wasn't held out of practice, there isn't any big concern he could miss Week 15 yet.
Breaking down the first #MiamiDolphins Week 16 injury report, which featured some unexpected names (Jaylen Waddle) along with those we figured wouldn't practice Wednesday.https://t.co/lHexQCzH7a
— Alain Poupart (@PoupartNFL) December 12, 2024
Unless he misses practice at some point, he doesn't seem in danger of missing more game time without a re-aggravation of his injury. Hamstrings can be fickle things, but sometimes they get sore or tight without being strained or anything more serious.
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