Week 8 Injury Watch: Kenyan Drake, Chris Carson, Deebo Samuel

Week 8 Injury Watch

Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Ankle Sprain

Drake suffered an ankle injury that was not termed a high-ankle, but the team will be treating it as it is one. Looking at the video, the injury appears to be a high ankle mechanism, but reports indicate that he suffered a slight tear in the ligament. By definition, a partial tear of the ligament is a sprain.

It’s not exactly known which ligament he tore, but there’s a high likelihood that he would have torn the deltoid ligament. This is a ligament that runs on the inside portion of the ankle that provides medial support to the ankle. This is not a common area to injure. However, considering this took the brunt of the injury and not the syndesmosis commonly injured during a high ankle, this may bode well for a quicker recovery and production from Drake as opposed to a true high-ankle sprain. I expect him to miss the next 2-to-3 games with the possibility that he returns closer to 100% than what we are seeing with Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffery. Fantasy Spin: Chase Edmonds should take a near full-time role for however long Drake is sidelined. — Tim Heaney

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Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Midfoot Sprain

Carson suffered a midfoot sprain that has prompted the Seahawks to deem him week-to-week. These midfoot sprains are more commonly known as Lisfranc injuries. It appears that Carson avoided the season-ending variety, but he still has short-term concerns as he attempts to come back. According to the literature, non-operative management of a Lisfranc sprain takes on average of 11.7 days to return to play. Other studies indicate that Grade 1 sprains return to play 100 percent of the time within 4 weeks.

Considering Carson has not been placed on Injured Reserve and is week-to-week, this appears that he has a Grade 1 sprain. Even if he comes back in 2 weeks, the foot will still not likely be 100%, and he has a greater chance to re-injure the area, leading to potential complications similar to those QB Cam Newton dealt with last year with the Panthers. Considering the Seahawks backfield is also beat up, Carson may be forced into service before he is truly ready. I would look to handcuff his healthy backups (Carlos Hyde, DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer, in that order) for the next two weeks at least and have other options for the month of November before he is truly an RB1 again.

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Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Hamstring Strain

A promising rookie year by Samuel ended in a trip to the Super Bowl last year and potential stardom in the coming years. On the contrary, 2020 has been a disaster for the promising wideout. Suffering a Jones fracture while training in June, Samuel finally returned in early October to help shore up an injured 49ers offense. He appeared to be getting up to speed before a hamstring injury Sunday put him a few steps back.

According to reports, he will miss the next two games. He might miss more depending on the severity. He will be at a greater risk to re-injure the hamstring by 32% for the remainder of the season. The Jones fracture did not directly cause the hamstring injury, but the lack of high-level running coming off rehabbing the foot injury may have caused an acclimation injury by ramping up activities too fast. Samuel is a dynamic talent but may not be trusted until late November, which could make or break fantasy championships. Perhaps he’s worth a cheap investment via trade if his manager can’t hold tight and you have room to stash him.

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Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns: Left ACL Tear

News came down Monday that officially confirmed Beckham’s left ACL tear on the opening Browns drive Sunday. Barring any associated damage or complications, Beckham is looking at a 9-to-12-month recovery. He will likely be ready for training camp, but I have strong reservations as to whether he can return to his pre-ACL tear form for 2021.

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Landon Collins, S, Washington Football Team: Left Achilles Tear

Collins’ season ended as the result of a left Achilles tear Sunday and puts him in line for grueling rehab to repair the tendon to play in 2021. He is also looking at a 9-to-12-month rehab with most taking on average 11 months. He will experience a likely loss of explosive power up to 50 percent when returning to play along with significantly fewer games played. He is still a very young player with the ability to regain his form, but he may not be back to his peak performance until 2022.

Thanks for reading the Week 8 Injury Watch. Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist who also works as an injury spotter for Dr. David Chao. Kyle has extensive experience in outpatient orthopedics, skilled nursing, acute care hospital, and home care. He’s also a member of Bills Mafia and runs the website Banged Up Bills.

Disclaimer from Kyle: My opinions are my own. Any thoughts I have on the injuries are based on media reports, my knowledge of the injury, and speculation based on the information currently available including video and print media. This information is subject to change based on the information released by the team.

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