The first full slate of NFL exhibition games went off this weekend, and for the most part, teams escaped without major injury. With the rules relating to contact in camp (or the lack thereof), for many players, exhibition is the first time that they really get hit since last winter, so injuries and the opening of the season usually go hand in hand.
The running back landscape also changed slightly this week with 2 major signings in Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliot, along with with a number of players being taken off of the PUP.
While Cook will need some time before he’s ready to join his new team in full practices, the Jets added to their running back room, as they were able to remove Breece Hall from the PUP list this week. Hall, of course, is recovering from a torn ACL, and getting him back into camp is a huge first step for having him back on the field in the first part of the season. The signing of Cook had many questioning Hall’s recovery timeline, but if he can begin getting some reps in now, a return at the start of the season is certainly not out of the question.
J.K. Dobbins also was taken off of the PUP and is attending Ravens camp for the first time this week. Dobbins is unhappy with his current contract, but now that he’s medically cleared to return to practice, it will be interesting to see how involved he becomes, or if he will potentially “hold-in” while he continues to work on getting an extension.
Javonte Williams will get his first taste of NFL football since he tore his ACL and LCL last October, as he’s expected to suit up this weekend against the 49ers. His recovery is nothing short of remarkable, and getting him snaps in preseason will be invaluable when it comes to the start of the regular season.
Zach Ertz has also been cleared to practice 9 months after tearing his ACL and MCL. The veteran tight end has been a productive part of the Cardinals offense, and the team’s certainly in need of weapons this year. Ertz will likely never return to the top 12 tight ends for fantasy purposes, but he can be picked up in a pinch during bye weeks if injuries come up. Keep an eye on him and watch how he is utilized this year, he might save you one week.
Elijah Moore was a player that left his exhibition matchup with what was later labeled as a rib injury, but he was back at practice on Tuesday doing individual drills. He was lining up all over the field for Cleveland last weekend, and it seems like the Browns are doing whatever they can to carve him out a significant role in their offense. It’s good to see that the injury doesn’t seem to be anything major.
We also finally got some clarity in T.J. Hockenson’s absence from Vikings camp. It was unclear what his issue was as the team continued listing it as an absence due to illness. Hockenson said on Tuesday he’s been dealing with an ear infection, and is unsure if he will join the team’s joint practices with the Titans this week. While certainly no picnic, it’s good to hear the illness doesn’t seem to be anything major and Hockenson should be back in no time.
And for the first time, the Seahawks have more running backs returning to practice than leaving it. Kenneth Walker was seen back at practice this week after missing several sessions. It would be nice from a fantasy perspective for Walker and Charbonnet to stay healthy so we can get a look at how Seattle plans to deploy their two backs this coming season prior to fantasy drafts.
#Vikings TE TJ Hockenson told us his ear infection is "starting to get cleared up." He's unsure if he'll take part in the joint practices with the Titans Wed. and Thurs. pic.twitter.com/clLL5Lf9dN
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) August 14, 2023
Here’s this week’s rundown of the latest injury news.
Treylon Burks (WR) – Tennessee Titans – Knee Sprain
Titans sophomore receiver Treylon Burks was carted off at practice on Wednesday afternoon after making a contested catch at the Titans joint practice. Thankfully he was able to walk off with the trainers, and after a late afternoon MRI, he has been diagnosed with a sprained LCL. The diagnosis is good news, all things considered, as the possibility of Burks suiting up for the opening of the regular season still remains a possibility. The Titans signed DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, and if he and Burks can stay healthy, they’ll form a formidable duo for the Titans passing offense.
Kendre Miller (RB) – New Orleans Saints – Knee Sprain
NFL teams will rarely use a day 2 pick in the entry draft on a player with any type of significant injury, but the Saints loved what they saw from Miller’s college tape enough to select him in the 3rd round while he was still recovering from an MCL injury. The team knew they would have to bring him along slowly, but he’s already missed valuable reps at camp, and suffered a knee sprain in the same knee he previously injured during this past weekend’s preseason game. The sprain itself isn’t overly serious, but it would come as a surprise if he was able to participate in the team’s joint practices this week.
The Saints were hoping that Miller would be up to speed by the time the regular season starts, and be able to pair with Jamaal Williams to hold down the team’s rushing offense while Alvin Kamara serves his 3 game suspension. However, after Miller’s slow start to camp the Saints have been actively visiting with free agent backs. Kareem Hunt left the team facilities without a deal in place last week, and now the latest veteran getting a look is former Kansas City Chief Darrell Williams.
Miller’s best path to being a star sleeper was to have a great camp, and come out of the gate so hot that Kamara’s role in the offense would be questioned. The opposite has seemingly been happening, as Kamara has reportedly looked fantastic this camp after changing his offseason routine to include more modern sports science, while Miller has struggled. He could still be worth a late round dart throw in some leagues, but this is not the start to what is still a promising career that he hoped for.
Jaylen Waddle (WR) – Miami Dolphins – Abdominal/Rib Injury
Star 3rd year receiver Jaylen Waddle left last Thursday’s joint practice with a midsection injury. He returned shortly after visiting with the medical team, but was in sweats and didn’t participate in any more drills. He missed the team’s exhibition game last week, and it’s looking unlikely that he will participate in the joint practices this week with the Houston Texans.
Head coach Mike McDaniel did say he’s doing well, and that they expect him back at practice sooner rather than later, so there are no major red flags here – yet. It looks like the team is just being overly cautious with him, but there will be eyebrows raised if he continues to miss practices next week.
George Kittle (TE) – San Francisco 49ers – Abductor Strain
One of the hardest working players in the NFL, George Kittle always seems to be dealing with some kind of ailment or injury, even if they don’t always keep him out of the lineup on game days. He suffered an abductor strain last week, and has already been ruled out of practice for this week. It’s too early to predict how long this injury will linger, but if I had to put money down, I would be betting that the 4 time pro bowl tight end will be suiting up to start his 7th season.
Miles Sanders (RB) – Carolina Panthers – Groin
Miles Sander is continuing to deal with a groin injury suffered in practice last Wednesday that caused him to miss the team’s first preseason game against the Jets. Joining a new team with a new head coach and a rookie quarterback is a difficult enough transition, so missing time to develop chemistry with Bryce Young and the rest of the offense isn’t promising. Head coach Frank Reich addressed the media on Wednesday and said that Sanders is definitely going to miss this weekend’s preseason game, and there’s a possibility he’s out until week 1 of the regular season.
Jameson Williams (WR) – Detroit Lions – Hamstring
Williams came up holding his hamstring during practice on Wednesday. Head coach Dan Campbell said early Thursday that the injury will likely keep the once highly touted prospect out for the remainder of training camp. So to recap, since Williams has been drafted, he missed all of his rookie camp and the majority of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the national championship game. He’s already missed most of his year 2 camp, and will not be seen on the field again until after he serves his 6 game suspension. Williams also hadn’t been having the best camp when he was healthy enough to be on the field, so he’s someone who really needed these practices and exhibition games to get his game back on track. He might be someone to target in dynasty if you still believe his elite athleticism will help him succeed in the NFL, but at this point in redraft leagues it’s really hard to justify taking a flier on Williams.
Russell Gage (WR) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Non-Contact Injury
Russell Gage reportedly was carted off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury during a joint practice with the Jets. Gage’s teammates took a knee, and Gage was in tears as he exited the field. The Tampa Bay Times noted it was a non-contact injury with Gage backpedaling. He’s expected to miss all of 2023 as a result. Gage is one of the few experienced receivers on the Bucs roster, along with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Had the Bucs entered a full tear down and were able to move one of their star receivers, Gage could have stepped into a bigger role on the offense. But that’s now a moot point.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.