Week 11 of the NFL regular season is now officially behind us and more than a few teams had injury scares over the weekend. Here are some of the headlines involving the health of star players after an action-packed week.
49ERS S TALANOA HUFANGA OUT FOR THE SEASON WITH TORN ACL
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Monday that safety Talanoa Hufanga has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and is now out for the season. Shanahan told reporters that the injury is a clean tear and there is no meniscus tear involved.
“He does have a torn ACL,” said Shanahan. “They don’t think there was any meniscus or anything, so it’s as clean as it could be.”
Hufanga went down in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay after he planted his foot while trying to tackle Buccaneers running back Rachaad White. Hufanga immediately walked to the sideline after the play was over and did not return. The All-Pro defensive back, who has 52 tackles and 3 total interceptions this season, was eligible for a new deal this year and has only one year left under contract with the 49ers.
BROWNS DB RODNEY MCLEOD JR. OUT FOR THE SEASON WITH TORN BICEP
Only a week after the Cleveland Browns lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury, the team lost another key player this past weekend. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Monday that DB Rodney McLeod Jr., who started in place of injured safety Juan Thornhill, is out for the season with a torn bicep.
Stefanski informed reporters on Monday: “Rodney McLeod Jr. has a biceps injury that’s going to require surgery so that will end his season, unfortunately…. [He’s an] unbelievable leader for this football team, has played really well for us… Just watching that guy work, watching him in the meeting room, on the practice field, during the games, just [an] amazing teammate.”
“[I] feel for him. He’ll get fixed up and then he’ll be back out here helping his teammates. But I really feel for Rod in this situation.”
McLeod left the game against the Steelers on Sunday in the fourth quarter and did not return. It remains unclear on what play McLeod suffered the injury. The 33-year-old signed with the Browns in May and has started 5 of the Browns’ ten games this season. McLeod registered 29 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass defensed in those games.
CHARGERS OLB JOEY BOSA SET TO BE PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE WITH FOOT SPRAIN
Chargers star pass rusher, Joey Bosa, who was carted off during Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, was diagnosed with a foot sprain on Monday morning and is expected to miss the Chargers’ next four games. The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker left the game on Sunday in the first quarter visibly emotional and was quickly ruled out with a foot injury.
Head coach Brandon Staley told reporters that x-rays came back negative, which is a good sign but Bosa is set to go on injured reserve this week, a move that’s expected to be made official on Wednesday or Thursday. Bosa left Lambeau on Sunday on crutches and in a walking boot.
The Chargers will have to rely on the services of Khalil Mack without Bosa during what’s expected to be a tough stretch of games. Mack is currently having a solid year so far. The Seven-time Pro Bowler currently ranks 4th in the league for sacks with 11 for the season
Los Angeles next hosts the no.1 seed in the AFC, Baltimore Ravens, on Sunday Night Football, before traveling east for a bout with the New England Patriots, followed by two back-to-back division games against the suddenly in-form Broncos and Raiders.
RAVENS TE MARK ANDREWS HAS ‘OUTSIDE CHANCE’ TO RETURN THIS SEASON
Only four days after it was feared that Ravens All-Pro tight end, Mark Andrews, might actually be out for the season with a high ankle and ligament injury, it appears the 28-year-old might not be done for the year after all. Andrews suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury, as revealed by an MRI on Friday but has a chance at a return this year.
Asked about Andrew’s injury and whether he’s definitively out for the season, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday, “Nothing is completely definitive yet, but my understanding in talking with our trainer and the doctors is that it wasn’t as bad as initially feared right after the game. There is a type of damage that’s done [occurs] sometimes in that kind of action, [with] what happens with the ankle [and] it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It’s a little cleaner than they thought, based on the MRI.”
Harbaugh also revealed that the three-time Pro Bowl tight end will work with orthopedic surgeon and foot & ankle specialist, Dr. Robert Anderson, MD in Charlotte in the next few days before getting a full diagnosis and sense of what the injury means for Andrews’ season.
“There might be an outside chance he can get back at some point in time,” said Harbaugh. “We’ll just have to see how that goes on. I don’t want to say that’s definitive by any stretch but there is some optimism.”
The Ravens worked out a group of tight ends on Monday, including former first-round pick, OJ Howard, as the team looks to add to what’s a young and inexperienced tight end group without Andrews.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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