Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist here to provide NFL injury analysis, news, and updates on Antonio Gibson’s left turf toe injury.
Antonio Gibson Injury News
Antonio Gibson Injury: Left Turf Toe
The latest Antonio Gibson injury update that he is not yet 100 percent from his turf toe injury is concerning news with training camp less than two months away. The Washington running back originally injured his left toe in early December, missing the next two games before returning and playing through the Wild Card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Detailed view of the anatomy and mechanism of injury on Antonio Gibson’s left toe (Image: Sptny.com).
Turf toe is a hyperextension of the great toe resulting in a sprain that creates instability within the joint. There are varying grades of severity going up to Grade III with a rupture of the plantar capsular ligamentous complex, which can require surgery. Based on Gibson’s self-reporting of his timeline, it appears that he suffered a Grade III injury.
While it appears concerning that he originally suffered the injury in December, he was not fully healthy or stopped playing until a month later in the playoffs. Stressing the already-injured area likely delayed his healing, as his rehab didn’t start until January. Non-operative treatments can take upwards of six months to fully return from. He is five months out from the end of the season, which could explain why he still feels hampered.
Washington’s training staff will be working with Gibson to ensure that he fully rehabs the toe to maximize stability. Surgery is not always the answer and did not appear necessary in this case. Based on the current information, Gibson should be fully healthy by training camp with little concern.
Due to the injury, he may have reduced range of motion in the toe with a chance to develop arthritis later in his career, but this does not appear to increase his risk of re-injury. Barring a new injury to the area, he should be ready to go for Week 1.
Antonio Gibson Injury News: Fantasy Football & Betting Analysis
Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, Gibson’s injury should not have a significant effect on his fantasy stock. He may drop a bit in re-draft leagues if fantasy managers are still concerned about it, but as long as the injury doesn’t linger I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him. Gibson should once again be the focal point of Washington’s offense after tallying 11 touchdowns and 1,042 yards from scrimmage in 14 games as a rookie last year, making him an easy RB1 for fantasy purposes.
Similarly, Gibson’s injury shouldn’t sway any NFL futures bets. After winning the NFC East last year, Washington is the second-most likely team to win the division this year after the Dallas Cowboys, per BetMGM (+300). Given that the team’s main strength is its elite defense, Washington’s outlook doesn’t change unless Gibson is forced to miss considerable time.
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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