Injuries & Oddities: NFL Preseason Week 3 Edition

By Ha Kung Wong

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

As usual, it’s time to catch on all the NFL injuries, this time from Preseason Week 3!

Randall Cobb

The Packers have already sustained a major injury to their receiving core with Jordy Nelson going down last week with a torn ACL, causing him to miss the entirety of the 2015 season.  And although the Packers have significant depth at WR, they could ill afford more injuries before the season even begins.

So it probably caused serious heartburn in cheeshead-land when Randall Cobb went down with a shoulder injury in the 3rd preseason game:

It seems it’s not broken, but that’s not the worst that could happen.  Soft tissue and ligament damage can be much more difficult to recover from, and at worst, could be season ending.

Recent reports from ESPN are that x-rays were negative, which doesn’t tell us anything about ligament or muscle injury, but at least confirms the absence of Cobb’s initially feared broken shoulder.  I’m sure many folks in green and yellow will be holding their breath over the next couple days, but it at least appears that Cobb did not sustain a serious injury.  Whether he makes it back for week 1, though, is another story.

UPDATE – August 30 – PM – Looks like it’s an AC joint sprain and at least the Packers believe Cobb will be ready for the beginning of the season.

Duke Johnson

Oh, Duke.  I was finally excited about a running back in Cleveland with all the hype concerning camp action, and then in the week 3 preseason game, Duke Johnson goes out with a concussion.

As I mentioned last week, I agree with ESPN’s Stephania Bell in that there really isn’t such thing as a minor concussion, and although RGIII was practicing soon after his concussion, he still isn’t cleared to play, demonstrating that there’s no accounting for how slow or fast someone comes back from a concussion.  Isaiah Crowell’s tenuous hold on starter minutes has just been improved.

Todd Gurley and Tre Mason

After what seemed like a breakout season for St. Louis Rams RB Tre Mason in 2014 (913 total yards and 5 TDs in just 12 games), most everyone was surprised when the Rams took Todd Gurley 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Not only did it seem unnecessary with the depth the Rams had at RB (then including Zac Stacy, now with the Jets, who in 2013 totaled over 1000 yards in 14 games), but Gurley was also coming off ACL surgery.  Seeing as how the start of the 2015 NFL season was only 10 months removed from his ACL injury, it wasn’t a sure thing that Gurley would be ready.  But just this past week, Gurley was cleared for practice.

And now he’s even warming up in pads before preseason games.

Of course, having minimal reps and no time in preseason to build chemistry with new QB Nick Foles makes it difficult for a rookie to contribute right out of the box.  But now we hear that Tre Mason has a mild hamstring pull.

Arguably, Gurley not only needs to get healthy, but also prove that he’s a better option than returning to the Tre Mason well.  But if Mason remains sidelined, Gurley may be in line for more carries than expected.

Garrett Hartley

I normally don’t mention kickers in this column, but I feel like I have to as the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost their second kicker of the preseason.  First, it was Shaun Suisham going down with an ACL tear.  And now, it’s Garrett Hartley with a strained hamstring.  On the one hand, it’s just a strained hamstring.  But on the other hand, hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to predict in kickers, and coach Mike Tomlin has already expressed pessimism over his week 1 status.

Orlando Scandrick

The Cowboys will be without arguably their best cornerback, as Scandrick tore both his ACL and MCL.

It’s like an epidemic at this point.  Someone needs to design an artificial ACL before the entire NFL football league is on IR.

Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell

The Patriots signing of veteran WR Reggie Wayne may see like an insignificant move to some, but ultimately, it may be due to Julian Edelman’s leg injury and Brandon LaFell’s foot injury.  So far, Edelman has returned to practice and is tracking to be ready for the start of the 2015 season.  But LaFell maybe another story.

LaFell was spotted with a walking boot in the spring, but in regular Patriots form, there’s been no information since then.  And now ESPN is reporting that LaFell is a candidate for the PUP list, which would put him out until the seventh game of the 2015 season.

Either way, options are dwindling in New England, so we’ll likely see what Wayne has to offer sooner rather than later.

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Check back all week as we continue to update you on NFL injuries!

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