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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.
Unless you are an offensive line aficionado, Week 13 was a light week for injuries around the league. Rashad Jennings and Le'Veon Bell both suffered concussions on Thursday and a handful of role players may miss time with minor injuries, but there were no season-threatening injuries yesterday. There were multiple scares, however, with A.J. Green (ribs), Demaryius Thomas (shoulder), C.J. Spiller (ankle), Rob Gronkowski (ankle) and Josh Gordon (evaluated for concussion) all narrowly avoiding injuries that could have ended their days early.
There are a few critical on-going injury situations that warrant a closer look today. And the news may not be good.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS
AARON RODGERS | FRACTURED COLLARBONE | WEEK-TO-WEEK
As part of my argument that the initial 3-4 week estimate on Aaron Rodgers was very optimistic, I've written that the Green Bay medical staff generally errs on the side of caution with player injuries.
The Packers took their time evaluating and finding multiple opinions for Jermichael Finley's head and neck injuries in the hospital, gave Eddie Lacy an extra 14 days to recover from a concussion and are in no hurry to rush Randall Cobb back from a leg injury. They were proactive about handling Jordy Nelson's nerve-related symptoms in training camp and brought James Jones back slowly from a midseason PCL sprain.
So, it's no surprise that Rodgers wasn't cleared for last Thursday's game and that there are strong indications that he won't be cleared this week either. Nor should it now be a surprise -- since the Packers haven't won in five weeks and are now a longshot to make the playoffs in the NFC -- that the latest reports from Green Bay strongly suggest that the team is considering shutting Rodgers down for the rest of 2013.
It is possible Rodgers could play within 4-6 weeks of a non-displaced collarbone fracture. We've seen multiple players -- though usually those who have had their bone surgically plated -- return within six weeks. The collarbone is solid enough by then for many players and medical providers to feel comfortable returning a player to contact. But the bone will not have fully healed for closer to 10-12 weeks (and possibly longer) and there's a risk of a more severe break or damage to vital surrounding structures if Rodgers takes another hit to the injured area. And therein lies the concern.
Though Rodgers is likely to push to play, that's a risk the Packers are very unlikely to take if there's no meaningful reward (read: playoffs and a Super Bowl run) to be achieved. And since Rodgers has already said that he'll respect the wishes of the Packers' medical staff, the writing on the wall is growing ever darker for Rodgers' 2013 season.
percy harvin | hip | week-to-week
The plot thickened significantly in Seattle today. Part of the intrigue (and frustration) of writing about NFL injuries is getting a read on the incomplete and slow trickle of information about a player's condition. Sometimes, it takes weeks, months or into the offseason for the other shoe to drop on a complicated injury course.
And that's what's happened with Harvin today.
Mike Garofalo reported that Harvin's "flare-up" in late October was not a case of routine soreness as he ramped up his rehab in anticipation of a earlier-than-expected return. The reports of an MRI that showed "no complications" at the time were -- surprise! -- not completely accurate and Harvin needed to have the hip drained. Further, Garofalo reports today that Harvin's most recent setback was significant enough to necessitate a cortisone injection.
What does that mean? I'm not sure yet. I'm reaching out to my orthopedic contacts, but I'm not certain I'll get a straight answer. I expect to hear that there's not enough information to be sure and that every hip procedure involving labral injuries and possibly impingement symptoms is different.
It may be that Harvin is dealing with bursitis in his hip. That's a relatively common complication in athletes and post-surgical patients. Harvin is both. And Carroll, if you trust his report, told reporters last week that Harvin's hip joint was "structurally" okay. If it's bursitis, I'd bet that Harvin had a cortisone shot in October at the time he had the fluid drained. Those injections, as we touched on with Dez Bryant last month, are often repeated successfully within 4-6 weeks.
But it's also possible that Harvin is dealing with symptoms of impingement in his hip. We've seen a similar situation affect Brandon Marshall after a hip surgery, although Marshall's case may have been years rather than months later. Cortisone shots are also sometimes used to diagnose and treat impingement symptoms. If that's what's going on, the fluid in the joint may be a sign of additional wear and tear inside the joint itself. And that could necessitate another surgery in the future.
I'll followup with more details in Wednesday's column (and sooner on Twitter). In the meantime, we wait for the next drip of information. For now, consider Harvin week to week and (tentatively) on the doubtful side of questionable for Week 14.
jordan reed | concussion | week-to-week
I cautioned yesterday that, while Reed was cleared for contact by Saturday evening, nothing is certain with concussions -- especially those that take longer than the routine five day return to play protocol for clearance. Kudos to Reed for reporting his headache during pregame warmups last night and kudos to the Washington medical staff for fostering an environment where that can happen without incident.
Now comes the process to clear Reed once again. We're now more than two weeks into his recovery and Reed will have to take multiple steps back on the concussion protocol. Since it took two weeks to clear Reed already and the Washington medical staff has been cautious through last night's warmup, it's not guaranteed that Reed will be cleared for contact for Week 14. We'll know more by Wednesday.
michael crabtree | achilles | returned to play
Crabtree played more snaps (42) than I expected yesterday, but his target count (4) was below his usual workload. When I watched the double move that led to a big gain yesterday live, I thought his stop and go looked stunted and saw a hitch in his gait at top speed. Upon closer reflection today, I was a little more impressed with his change of direction and the number of steps it took him to get to top speed.
Still, there are obvious issues here. First, you can see Crabtree turn his right foot out at the end of the double move. He does so to gain an angle on the defender. But he pushes off with his left foot after dipping his right shoulder rather than pushing off the right leg. There is a clear hitch on the right side at top speed. And you can see his hesitance to continue pushing off his right foot and drive into the final tackler at the end of the run.
That's nitpicky, yes. But it's also evidence that Crabtree isn't in full form. How much these issues will limit his ability to separate in the short run remains to be seen. Overall, yesterday's effort was better than I expected for a player six months removed from a complete Achilles tear.
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.