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
With two Monday night games to come, it's been a quiet week for injuries. Ryan Mallett may be done for the season despite playing an entire game with a pectoral injury to his throwing side. A handful of role players left their game with injuries, including Austin Seferian-Jenkins (back), Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle, knee), and Cooper Helfet (ankle).
The only key skill position injury of note may be Ryan Mathews, who left yesterday's game with a shoulder injury. The mechanism was most consistent with an AC sprain, and Mathews returned to the game and ran effectively. Mathews could be limited in practice, however, and I'll be watching for more news throughout the week.
Though the list of new injuries is short, there are many skill position players with questionable futures.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS
ARIAN FOSTER | GROIN STRAIN | WEEK-TO-WEEK
The writing was on the whiteboard on Thursday when Foster did not practice after testing his health in a limited Wednesday session. The Texans can say they're being careful with him, but an educated reading of the clues has always suggested Foster would need a 3-4 recovery period.
It should be easy to read the tea leaves again this week. If Foster gets in consecutive practices this week, including at least a limited Friday session, he'll have a chance to return. If he returns, it's possible he'll see less than his pre-injury usage -- but that's a debate for later in the week.
larry fitzgerald | mcl sprain | week-to-week
The Cardinals helped define Fitzgerald's most likely recovery course last week when they told reporters Fitzgerald had a Grade 2 sprain. It was clear it would take a Herculean effort for Fitzgerald to play last week. It's an injury that needs time to scar and then remodel and heal. That process, depending on the extent of the tear (which could be 25-30% of the ligament or more than 50%) usually takes 3-4 weeks.
It's possible for some players to play through a not yet fully healed MCL sprain with a brace, but it's not realistic for a wide receiver. Kent Somers reported yesterday Fitzgerald's knee sprain didn't respond as hoped. To me, that means Fitzgerald is continuing to feel pain and looseness in the joint when he moves. The healing process cannot be accelerated here. The goal is to try to keep Fitzgerald in condition while the ligament heals and that's a difficult process, too.
I don't give Fitzgerald much of a chance to play this week either. And there's a very good chance he'll miss Week 14, too.
julius thomas | ankle sprain | day-to-day
I still think it's likely Thomas has a low ankle sprain. Adam Schefter and others reported as much this time last week, Thomas was out on the practice field stretching without a boot and crutches and our own Cecil Lammey reported last Thursday night that Thomas was moving without a serious limp in the locker room.
Low ankle sprains have varying degrees of severity and it's not uncommon for a bigger player to struggle to change direction with this type of injury. Though Thomas didn't seem particularly close to playing on Sunday, the added few days of treatment should give him a good chance to practice and play this week. However, if Thomas is not practicing by Thursday, it's time to worry about something more worrisome here.
reggie bush | high ankle sprain | day-to-day
Bush was able to practice last week but was left on the inactive list. Multiple reports suggest the Lions felt Bush would have difficulty getting ready for the early Thanksgiving Day game this week if he played on Sunday. I think it's a reasonable assumption and would expect Bush to practice and play this week.
dwayne allen | high ankle sprain | week-to-week
There was disagreement among our better injury sources last week about whether Allen had a high or low ankle sprain. The video mechanism looked more like a high ankle sprain and Allen didn't seem close to practicing last week. Allen's practice participation will be key again this week, obviously, but I think the odds of him returning for Week 13 are long until we hear something positive about his condition.
jordan reed | hamstring strain | week-to-week
This hamstring strain is not to the same leg as the one which cost Reed over a month earlier this season. However, Reed did not practice last week and that's usually evidence a player has more than a low grade injury. Set the over-under at two weeks here and if Reed isn't able to practice by the end of this week, bump that expectation to four weeks.
jordan cameron | concussion | indefinite
Unless this is the first time you've read this column, you know my stance here. Once a player has passed 14 days without gaining clearance for football-related activity, there's no timetable for their return from a concussion. We are well past that with Cameron. In each of the last two weeks, there have been optimistic reports about Cameron returning to practice. We've yet to see it. Hopefully this is the week Cameron gets through the final stages of the return to play protocol, but there's still no guarantee he's ready for that.
AROUND THE TRAINING TABLE
The Bengals may have lost tackle Andre Smith for the season with a torn triceps. He'll have an MRI today. Detroit tackle Riley Reiff will have his knee injury further evaluated today. And it's a big day for Miami tackle Ja'Waun James, who couldn't return to yesterday's game with a stinger. If he's not back to full strength today, he may be in for a long absence, too.
On the defensive side of the ball, Aqib Talib couldn't play through a hamstring strain yesterday and the Broncos also lost Brandon Marshall to a concussion. Tashaun Gipson is feared to have a season-ending knee injury. Also, the Bears may be without Kyle Fuller (MCL sprain) and Lance Briggs (groin strain) once again.
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.
