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NOTE: This column is a living document. I'll be updating as needed after team press conferences, imaging reports, Monday Night Football injuries, etc. Major changes to the content will be noted in red. I'll also be retweeting any key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.
INJURY ROUNDS
knowshon moreno | leg injury | day-to-day
Multiple television replays do not show a clear mechanism of injury on Moreno's last run. There may have been a funny step just before he's taken to the ground and there was a brief moment where his ankle is turned on the last step of his run. I don't see anything that looks clearly worrisome, but that does not rule out a significant injury. Moreno left the locker room in a boot and crutches. That suggests some level of concern from the medical staff, but immobillization is common with nearly every lower leg injury in the first hours of treatment.
I'll update with more after today's press conference and any imaging results as they are reported.
zac stacy | concussion | week-to-week
Stacy must progress through the team's return to play protocol to be cleared for contact. I cannot find a history of a college concussion for Stacy, so his progress will be based on how quickly his symptoms resolve. There has yet to be anything to suggest he will not be cleared for Week 13, but t's unlikely we'll know anything specific until later in the week.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS
AARON RODGERS | fractured COLLARBONE | WEEK-TO-WEEK
Jay Glazer reported during yesterday's FOX pregame show that the Packers are holding out hope that Rodgers can play Thursday after being re-evaluated today.
Don't bet on it.
Rodgers essentially confirmed that his injury is a non-displaced, midshaft collarbone fracture during his radio show last week. That ended any speculation that his injury was to the joint at either end of the collarbone and something that he could return from within 2-3 weeks. A break in the middle of the collarbone, even one that wasn't severe enough to require surgery, will take a minimum of six weeks to heal. It's extremely unlikely that the Packers' medical staff will see anything on an x-ray today that's reassuring enough to clear him -- if Rodgers has an x-ray at all.
More likely, Rodgers re-evaluation will be based on what the medical staff sees on an examination. The risk of returning Rodgers to play before his bone has fully healed is that another hit or fall to the area will cause a displaced fracture, threatening surrounding structures, necessitating surgery and ending his season. So, Rodgers will have to have no pain on direct examination of his collarbone and full range of motion and strength in his shoulder and arm before the team doctors will consider clearing him. And there's a chance even that won't be enough.
Rodgers hinted last week that he was still having pain -- though not severe -- when doing daily activities. So, it's very unlikely that he'll have progressed enough today, just three weeks after his injury, to gain clearance for Thursday. Week 14 is a possibility. That will be five weeks after the injury, enough time for Rodgers to regain strength in his shoulder and have an extra two weeks of healing in the bone. But don't be surprised if this stretches into Week 15.
Rodgers has dropped important details in his radio show in each of the past two weeks. I'll have more on Twitter over the next 48 hours if he comments during his show or news on his evaluation or practice participation breaks sooner.
julius thomas | knee sprain | week-to-week
The Broncos and Thomas have yet to share which ligament is sprained or the severity of the sprain. Thomas' attempt to practice last week is reassuring that his injury is not high grade, but don't buy into any suggestion that the Broncos held him out due to the cold. Yes, cold weather could make it more difficult to keep an inflamed knee with a risk of swelling loose. But I doubt they would have put Thomas on a cross-country flight if that was the primary issue.
Thomas' sprain doesn't involve his ACL. Even low grade ACL injuries are rehabbed very carefully and usually require surgery. While we don't know which ligament is sprained, each of the other three major ligaments are stabilizers to the knee joint. The limiting factor for Thomas' return, then, will be when he's comfortable putting full weight on the knee and moving laterally without feeling any looseness in the joint. As we've seen with DeMarco Murray, Terrelle Pryor and many others in recent seasons, there's no clear timetable for that comfort level. Sometimes, it's a matter of hours-days; other times, the recovery can stretch to 2-3 weeks.
Today's press conference and Wednesday's practice report will give us much more information on how close Thomas is to achieving that comfort level with his knee.
michael crabtree | achilles tear | week-to-week
Crabtree is closer to returning, but as we saw with Percy Harvin, the final stages of rehab must be carefully navigated to limit the chances of a re-conditioning injury. The Niners are managing Crabtree's practice reps and resting him as needed. It's possible that Crabtree returns to the active roster this week. But the chances of him playing a significant number of snaps are minimal and aren't likely to increase for a number of weeks. More importantly, Crabtree must demonstrate that he's able to run routes with enough explosiveness and lateral agility to take advantage of any snaps he gets. That's the more critical unknown in his recovery from a full Achilles tear. It's possible he can do so in 2013, but it will more likely be 2014 until Crabtree can return to full form.
jay cutler | high ankle sprain | week-to-week
Cutler said his injury was "different than a normal high ankle sprain" after he was seen in a cast last week. The specifics aren't important in this case. Cutler is essentially saying that he has a higher grade injury. Since he didn't need surgery, he's likely been given a 4-6 week return to play timetable. That puts the window for his return in the Week 14-16 range. Cutler is now in a splint rather than cast and there will undoubtedly be talk about him returning on the early side of the expectation. But I expect the Bears to be cautious with this one and not return Cutler in the same week he returns to practice (as they did with the groin injury). Realistically, we're a minimum of 2-3 weeks away from Cutler's return.
darren mcfadden | hamstring strain | week-to-week
McFadden reportedly has a chance to play on Thursday, but I think it's very unlikely. McFadden has yet to practice and has a history of aggravating muscle strains that haven't been fully rehabilitated. Playing, even in a limited role, on a short first week of practice is a risk that the Raiders aren't likely to take.
hakeem nicks | abdominal strain | week-to-week
Nicks' injury has been called both an abdominal and groin strain. That indicates a core muscle strain, a.k.a. a sports hernia. We have seen players -- most recently Adrian Peterson (and, it won't be surprising to learn in January, Danny Amendola) -- play through these injuries effectively and choose to delay surgery until after the season. But it's an injury that will limit Nicks. He is likely to struggle to run routes effectively and may need an extra step or two to get to top speed. It's also fair to wonder whether the decision to rest Nicks is evidence that he's closer to surgery than not.
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Ryan Mathews aggravated a hamstring strain. Aggravated strains are commonly a higher grade injury, putting Mathews' availability for Week 13 (and beyond) in doubt. ... Chris Ivory told reporters yesterday that he has both a low and high ankle sprain. While it's possible he suffered injuries on different plays, there was a clear mechanism for a low ankle sprain on his first carry. He'll be evaluated further today. ... Jason Campbell suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion, yesterday. His Week 13 status is in doubt. ... Daniel Thomas suffered an ankle sprain and early locker room reports sounded concerning for a multi-week injury (1230 ET: Mike Sherman told reporters Thomas tore ligaments and will miss the rest of the season).
I'll be updating this feature throughout the day. Footballguys Insiders will get a full update with additional fantasy perspectives on Wednesday, with analysis of the week's game-time decisions early Sunday morning. Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis throughout the week.