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The rate of serious injury to skill position players seemed to slow after the first few practices of training camp. Many of the veteran players on maintenance practice schedules during the preseason should be in the best possible shape heading into Week 1. But this is only the brief calm before the storm. The war of attrition is just beginning. The injury lists will grow ever longer with each passing week. Teams and players will assess their injured players on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis.
Already bored of the vague statements and metaphors and cliches? Stomach already turning in anticipation of the incomplete information and misleading press conferences that mark every week of the NFL season? You've come to the right place.
We're expanding our injury coverage at Footballguys this season.
This feature -- Inside the Injury Report -- has been a fixture of our weekly injury content. I'll be discussing specific player injuries and also writing about larger league trends like the rise of midfoot injuries or how the league is handling concussions. It will continue to go live on Wednesdays -- though the time may vary depending on when a key player's first practice participation is reported.
This year, I'm going to bracket the Wednesday column with two additional features. On Mondays, I'll be writing a review of the weekend's major injuries with some early analysis of what to expect during the week. On Sunday mornings, I'll have an update on the league's most critical game-time decisions and my expectations of the fantasy value for those players. You'll be able to find all three features on our weekly content page and on the Second Opinion blog.
And, as always, I'll be tweeting throughout the week as news breaks. Make sure you're following me on Twitter for the very latest updates.
inside the injury report
The list of veteran players who were on maintenance programs or recoverying from a late summer injury or surgery is long. Thankfully, the majority of those players will be ready to go this week. I'll have more in the Sunday Expectations column this week after we see how these players practice, but I believe we will see Robert Griffin III III, Jamaal Charles, Arian Foster, Trent Richardson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Brandon Marshall, Roddy White, Victor Cruz, Pierre Garcon, Jordy Nelson, and Hakeem Nicks active and starting for their teams this week. Among those players, Foster and Nelson are the most likely to see their snap count managed in Week 1.
The big news last week was the Patriots' decision to activate Rob Gronkowski from the Reserve/PUP list. Even more promising is the news that Gronkowski has been practicing in pads. Recovery and rehab from the kind of back surgery Gronkowski had in June is expected to take between 10-16 weeks, with the last 6-8 weeks focused on regaining core strength and conditioning. Now 11 eleven weeks into that process, his padded practices are a very good sign that his rehab has proceeded without any setbacks. It's also strong evidence that the infection that plagued his recovery from last year's arm fracture is a distant concern. It's not out of the question that Gronkowski could return to play in Week 2, but Week 3 is likely the earliest reasonable expectation.
The narrative immediately after Le'Veon Bell's foot sprain focused on whether the injury involved his Lisfranc joint. The Steelers haven't been specific and usually strong media sources didn't get enough information to report or gave conficting reports. I'm the first one to exercise caution in speculating about an injury until the diagnosis is clear. In this case, however, the specific diagnosis no longer matters. Why? Bell has been allowed to begin weight-bearing rehab, which is the first of two significant hurdles to be cleared before a player can return from a midfoot injury. The Steelers still won't say when they expect Bell back, but we've seen running backs take 2-4 weeks (assuming no setbacks) to finish rehabbing a foot injury after reaching the weight bearing stage of their rehab. That would put Bell's possible return in the Week 2-3 range if his recovery goes smoothly.
Five fantasy-relevant players were transferred to the Reserve / PUP or Injured Reserve / Designated to Return lists. Those on the Reserve / PUP list can return to practice and return to play anytime between Weeks 7 and 11. They must be activated before Week 11, however, or be lost for the season. Those on the IR / Designated to Return list can return to play in Week 9 and beyond.
Percy Harvin (Reserve / PUP)
Harvin may have a chance to return in Week 10 or 11, but it's more likely that he won't be available until after the Seahawks' Week 12 bye. There's also a chance he won't be ready until much later, if at all. We'll know more after Week 6.
Michael Crabtree (Reserve / PUP)
Crabtree has a tall task ahead of him to recover from a full Achilles tear. His recovery has reportedly progressed well, however, and he could return after 5-6 months of rehab. I expect to see him activated and practicing toward the end of the PUP period (Weeks 9-11) but he may not see extended playing time until some weeks later.
Dennis Pitta (IR / Designated to Return)
It's a very positive sign that the Ravens were comfortable burning their designated to return slot on Pitta. The hip dislocation and fracture repair will be a tough recovery, but this designation suggests that the first followups after surgery have shown little reason for concern. Don't expect to see Pitta in Week 9, but there's a good chance he'll be back in time for the fantasy playoffs.
Jonathan Stewart (Reserve / PUP)
I've been pessimistic on Stewart for months. The added rehab time could work in his favor and he could be the first one on this list to return. But I wouldn't invest or expect much from Stewart until he's cleared to run and can do so comfortably. Now seven months into recovery after arthroscopic ankle surgery, there's no definite timetable for that to happen.
Andre Brown (IR / Designated to Return)
Brown's fracture was reportedly not severe, but he'll still need 6-10 weeks to recover. As we saw with Vincent Brown last year, that timetable isn't always a sure thing. If Brown is activated to practice immediately after becoming eligible, his return won't be far off.
around the training table
Kenny Britt missed consecutive practices at least twice this offeason and continues to struggle with chronic pain and swelling in his knee ... I still think his prolonged recovery from January foot surgery is odd, but Ahmad Bradshaw will likely be active and play in a situational role this week ... Sidney Rice is likely to return after an orthobiologic treatment in Europe this preseason, but he may need a maintenance plan for much of the season ... DeAndre Hopkins has been cleared for contact after a preseason concussion and will practice this week ... E.J. Manuel is expected to play in Week 1, three weeks after having a meniscus clean up ... Dwayne Allen was practicing fully last week and is expected to be ready for Week 1 ... Santonio Holmes hasn't seemed excited about his return, but he's listed as the starter on the Jets' depth chart and should play this week ... There's no specific return timetable yet, but Heath Miller is off PUP and likely to see time within the next 4-6 weeks.
IDP rounds
The media doesn't cover defensive injuries with the same laser focus as skill position players, but there are some key stories to follow on the other side of the ball.
Jason Pierre-Paul continues to re-condition after back surgery, but is close to returning. He's listed as the second team right defensive end currently and likely won't be more than a situational player for the first 2-3 weeks of the season.
Jairus Byrd is battling plantar fasciitis and isn't likely to be ready in Week 1. It's a condition he'll likely struggle with for much of the season.
Jonathan Vilma is on the IR / designated list as he recovers from surgery on his chronically troublesome knee. He won't return before Week 9.
Dion Jordan practiced fully on Wednesday, but his shoulder may limit him. He's likely to be a situational player only this year.
Barkevious Mingo is close to returning after a lung contusion during the preseason. He'll need a clear CT scan before he'll be cleared for contact. There's no report yet on when that may be scheduled, but it could come as soon as the end of this week.
Champ Bailey and Ed Reed may be further away from returning than has been reported. Bailey's midfoot sprain feels like a much more significant injury than has been reported and Reed's hip condition hasn't responded well to surgery.
The Seahawks said Cliff Avril had an aggravated hamstring strain, which usually means a 4-8 week period of rehab. Avril is running on the side currently, however, and may return on the more optimistic side of the timetable. Chris Clemons is recovering from an ACL tear late last season and is also reportedly getting close to returning.
Manti Te'o remains in a boot as he recovers from his midfoot injury. It's often necessary for players with severe midfoot sprains to remain non weight-bearing for 6-8 weeks. After that, as noted with Le'Veon Bell above, there may be 2-4+ more weeks of rehab. There was no discussion of Te'o being placed on the IR / designated to return list, but we may not see him return for some time.
Follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for practice participation updates and other breaking injury news. Check back on Sunday morning for expectations on the most critical game-time decisions.