Tag: ankle injury

Cowboys’ Zack Martin to have season-ending ankle surgery

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 9x-Pro Bowler suffered an ankle injury in Week 11 and has been out since. Questions will now be raised about a possible retirement.

It’s the end of the season for one of the Cowboys’ all-time greats, and maybe even the end of the line.

Right guard Zack Martin will require surgery to repair the damage from a right ankle injury he suffered in Week 11, according to head coach Mike McCarthy, who made the announcement in his Thursday press conference. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the team’s 34-10 loss to Houston and had kept Martin sidelined the past two games.

The team had originally hoped Martin could rehab the ankle with a Week 14 return in mind, but his progress did not go as planned and led to this decision, which Martin and the club reached on Wednesday.

Undrafted Brock Hoffman has gotten the start for Martin in both contests of the Cowboys’ current two-game win streak, and he looks to be the primary replacement once again on Monday when Dallas hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.

“He’s gonna be missed. We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by no means,” McCarthy told reporters of the nine-time Pro Bowler who was just announced earlier in the day as a nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “He brings so much to the team, to the team culture. We all recognize what a great player he has been here in Dallas for his whole career, but what he gives us as a person- people gravitate to him and he does a really good job of bringing people together. That offensive line room is really an illustration of his leadership, and he’ll definitely be missed in that area.”

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Both the Nov. 18 injury and Thursday’s announcement immediately raised questions about the future of the 34-year-old, who was the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2014 and is now on the final year of his contract. After being absent for just two games over his first six pro seasons, Martin will have missed 16 contests over his last five years by the time the 2024 regular campaign ends.

Micah Parsons inadvertently sparked some retirement whispers for the eleven-year veteran back in early November. After a loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys linebacker said, “I kind of feel bad for guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out. Because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for.”

When asked a few days later about playing beyond 2024, Martin himself wasn’t ready to give the topic serious consideration.

“I’m just taking it one week at a time, my guy,” he told reporters.

But now there are no more weeks for the seven-time first-team All-Pro… at least for this season, and maybe for good.

“I think you just have to take a step back and deal with one thing at a time,” McCarthy said Thursday. “That, frankly, was the conversation that Zack and I had. The focus is really about the surgery, what’s next. Those are all questions that will be asked or be thought about.”

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Pittsburgh is undefeated when one Steelers defender is healthy

One Steelers defender, when healthy, has made a significant impact on the team’s success, and his absence in Week 13 could be pivotal.

It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have faced their share of injury woes in 2024, losing several key starters to season-ending injuries. However, one key defender’s absence has impacted the team’s odds of winning more than most. When OLB Alex Highsmith has been injured—missing five of the eleven games this season—the Pittsburgh Steelers have gone 2-3. In contrast, when Highsmith hasn’t been dealing with his previous groin injury or his current ankle issue, the Steel City has remained undefeated, boasting an impressive 6-0 record.

While backup OLB Nick Herbig has provided impressive pass-rush abilities while filling in for the injured edge rusher, could Highsmith’s strength against the run, combined with the need for opposing offenses to prepare for his presence, lead to a stronger Black and Gold team?

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It is concerning, to say the least, that Highsmith is unlikely to play in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals after being listed as doubtful for the AFC North divisional matchup. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the opportunity to prove their ability to win games without Highsmith against their bitter rivals.

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Report: Alex Highsmith seen in crutches following Week 10 injury

Alex Highsmith was seen on crutches leaving the Steelers’ locker room, raising concerns about the severity of his ankle injury.

In what should be an exciting celebration for the now 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, fans can’t help but sympathize with star EDGE Alex Highsmith, who appeared to suffer a serious ankle injury during his team’s Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders.

While the severity of the injury remains unclear, more details regarding Highsmith’s availability for the 2024 season will be revealed in the coming days. The outlook, however, doesn’t look promising.

Highsmith was seen using crutches as he left the Steelers’ locker room, suggesting the injury may cause him to miss significant time.

Highsmith recently missed Weeks 4 to 6 with a groin injury, and backup Nick Herbig is also nursing a hamstring injury. With this in mind, the Steelers’ trade for veteran OLB Preston Smith seems to have been a perfect move.

Smith will fill in admirably if Highsmith is forced to miss serious time, but fans of the Black and Gold are nonetheless hoping for a speedy recovery.

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‘Figured myself invincible’: Micah Parsons coming to grips with likelihood of sitting out Week 5

From @ToddBrock24f7: Parsons may miss his first game ever due to injury, although he’s trying to return as quickly as possible. It doesn’t look good for Sunday.

Heading into the Cowboys’ Week 4 game in New York, linebacker Micah Parsons was trying to avoid the first three-game losing streak in his football life.

Now he’s staring down a prospective barrel that upsets him even more.

The superstar defender, wearing a protective boot and using a scooter around The Star on Monday, seems hard-pressed to play this Sunday when the Cowboys visit Pittsburgh. If he has to sit due to the high-ankle sprain he suffered late in last Thursday’s win over the Giants, it will- incredibly- be the first game Parsons has ever missed, at any level, because of injury.

Parsons isn’t yet ready to concede.

“When you’re a real competitor, you only get 17 chances at this,” Parsons said, per Todd Archer of ESPN. “And missing one of these opportunities to perform at the highest level bothers me. I feel like I want to play on Sunday. If I can play, I will play, you know. To me, as long as I can run and move how I move, I want to play.”

Parsons is officially considered week-to-week, but the more realistic outlook points to him having to sit for at least one or even two games, considering Dallas has a bye after that.

“It’s just frustrating, for real,” he said, as reported by the team website. “You put a lot of energy into getting ready and being there for the team, so being out, this hurts me because I’m letting people down. I’m just letting people down. I figured myself invincible for a while.”

But the two-time All-Pro isn’t in total denial about his current prognosis. And he’s well aware that rushing back before his body is ready could mean a re-injury… and an even longer absence.

“It’s just going to come down to how I’m attacking this and getting right with Jim [Maurer, head trainer], and getting ahead of this, so that way I can get back as fast as possible. I’m just trying to get back as fast as possible, but I don’t want it to linger.”

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The 25-year-old was held out of a game during his rookie season due to COVID protocol, but he says being sidelined with an actual injury is a new experience.

“Never,” said the three-time Pro Bowler. “Never in my whole life. I’ve never missed a game. I’ve played hurt and through pain, so, to me, playing through hurt isn’t really the problem.”

But that does seem to be the way things are looking, and not just to Parsons.

“He’ll be challenged to play this week. We’re preparing to play without him,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Parsons to media members Monday.

“It’s definitely the unfortunate part of our game… It takes a lot of players to win in this league. Creates a great opportunity for others; that’s definitely our approach.”

So while Parsons may not lead his defensive teammates onto the field in Pittsburgh, he’s already started leading them in the week’s preparation.

“It’s time to man up,” said Parsons. “We talk about next-man-up mentality? It’s time.”

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Report: Cowboys’ Micah Parsons has high ankle sprain

From @ToddBrock24f7: Parsons was carted off late in the Week 4 win. He said he felt good afterward, but indications are that he may miss some time.

Cowboys fans collectively held their breath when superstar linebacker Micah Parsons stayed down on the turf late in Thursday night’s 20-15 win over the New York Giants. And the doomy, gloomy thoughts grew considerably darker as he was carted off the sideline after emerging from the medical tent.

Parsons was seen limping around the locker room afterward and looked to be in noticeable pain, according to media on the scene, but he said that his on-site X-rays had come back negative. He told quarterback Dak Prescott, “I’ll be good,” and said he had his sights set on playing in Week 5 when the Cowboys travel to Pittsburgh.

The truth may be somewhere in the middle of all that.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that Parsons suffered a high ankle sprain. It’s not immediately known how that diagnosis will affect his availability moving forward, but in the broad spectrum of leg injuries that most observers were imagining in the moment, the news is not as bad as it could have been.

Parsons was rolled up on from behind by Giants offensive lineman Greg Von Roten during a third-down pass play with about three and a half minutes left in regulation.

“I was coming off, and as I was planting, a guy fell on me,” he said, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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Despite needing assistance to exit the field and how gingerly he was moving after the game, Parsons was already looking forward to doing what he could to be back in the huddle when the Cowboys play again Oct. 6.

“We’ve got a tough matchup next week,” he told reporters after the 20-15 Week 4 win. “I’m going to try to get back for it.”

The extra days of prep time after the Thursday game will be a blessing for Parsons and several other Cowboys players who were banged up during the visit to MetLife Stdaium, including DeMarcus Lawrence.

Dallas plays the Steelers and then the Lions before their Week 7 bye. At just 2-2, the defense would be significantly weakened for those high-profile matchups if Parsons cannot go, but the team may elect to focus on Week 8 versus San Francisco, getting Parsons healthy enough to play then and for the latter half of the season.

More should be known soon about his timetable.

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Chargers expected to start Justin Herbert vs Steelers

The Steelers will be facing Justin Herbert in Sunday’s game against the Chargers.

According to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Chargers are expected to start Justin Herbert despite a high ankle sprain against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Herbert went out and tested the injured ankle Sunday morning and according to Schefter is going to give it a go.

Herbert had been limited at practice all week and there was a great deal of uncertainty about his status. The Chargers and Steelers are both 2-0 heading into this week’s game and they understand how important this one is.

For Herbert, his mobility will be a serious issue if he can’t move around against the Steelers relentless pass rush led by T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith along with Cam Heyward.

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Dak signing? No, sitting. Cowboys fans go on quick rollercoaster ride with Prescott news Friday

From @ToddBrock24f7: Cowboys fans thought news of a Prescott extension was imminent when he didn’t show up on the practice field. The reality was disappointing.

Cowboys fans watching Oxnard were taken on a rollercoaster Friday that lasted all of 15 minutes, but provided quite a ride nevertheless.

It started with reports from media on the ground at training camp that quarterback Dak Prescott was not on the field with the rest of the team for its scheduled practice session. That news was accompanied by the revelation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, team executive vice president Stephen Jones, VP of player personnel Will McClay, head coach Mike McCarthy, and VP of football operations and administration Todd Williams were also notably missing.

Predictably, Cowboys Nation lost its collective mind, wondering if it meant that the group was holed up in a meeting room, perhaps literally signing the paperwork on what has been largely expected to be a record-setting extension that would bind the quarterback to the team beyond the upcoming season.

 

The buzz on social media reached a fever pitch, with many observers convinced that an announcement was imminent, ensuring that the Cowboys and their $60 million man would be the talk of the league for the preseason’s opening weekend.

 

 

 

 

The excitement was very short-lived, though, with word spreading of why Prescott would be sitting out the day’s practice. He was not inking a new deal but instead experiencing ankle soreness, his surprise rest day being called “precautionary.”

Cowboys fans had a similar freak-out back in early July when a photo surfaced of Prescott wearing a protective boot while on vacation. After a few hours of nail-biting over whether it was evidence of some new injury or a troubling flare-up of a previous malady, the quarterback himself explained it away as basic maintenance after a couple hard days of practice.

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Prescott is already expected to sit out all three of the Cowboys’ preseason games. But after some solid work on Thursday in a joint practice with the Rams, his surgically-repaired ankle from 2020 might understandably be a little tender on Friday.

Prescott told reporters after the Rams scrimmage, “I could play a game right now.”

Maybe not, as it turned out. And he’ll take the day off instead to rest his ankle.

But his signing hand was free. And for a few glorious, hope-filled minutes to close out the week, that’s what Cowboys fans were far more focused on.

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Report: Cowboys DT Johnathan Hankins suffered ‘mild’ high-ankle sprain in Week 14 win

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran run-stuffer returned to the sideline in uniform Sunday night. Early reports he’ll be ready for the playoffs if not sooner.

Johnathan Hankins didn’t show up on the stat sheet in Sunday night’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but his early departure was definitely noticed.

The veteran defensive tackle sustained an ankle injury just a few snaps into the third quarter and was eventually carted to the locker room. He did not return to the contest. And while the team fared just fine in the decisive 33-13 victory, the 320-pounder’s prognosis quickly became a source of concern for Cowboys fans as the team looks ahead to important late-season matchups against three of the league’s top-10 rushing teams.

Reports indicate that Hankins suffered a high-ankle sprain, but it’s believed to be on the mild side. He is expected to get an MRI to further evaluate the injury.

That’s all positive news that suggests Hankins won’t miss extended time. NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that the 2013 second-round draft pick “should be back for the playoffs, if not sooner.”

That would be welcome news indeed for the Dallas defense. The team faces Buffalo, Miami, and Detroit over the next 20 days; those teams currently rank eighth, first, and fourth respectively in average yards per carry. In 13 games this season- all with Hankins- the Cowboys have not allowed a 100-yard rusher; only three opposing players have topped 60 yards on the ground.

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The 31-year-old appeared to have been rolled up on from behind on a third-down run play shortly after the second-half kickoff. Rookie Mazi Smith replaced Hankins for the remainder of the game.

Hankins did return to the Cowboys sideline Sunday night under his own power and still in uniform. After the game, he was seen leaving the locker room without a crutches, a walking boot, or even a pronounced limp.

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Marcus Davenport out versus Chicago Bears with ankle injury

Marcus Davenport has officially been ruled out for the rest of the Minnesota Vikings game against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury.

Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Marcus Davenport has officially been ruled out versus the Chicago Bears.

Davenport was injured early in the second quarter by friendly fire, as it appeared his ankle was injured by a leg whip from his own teammate. Davenport sustained the injury on a play where he was harassing Justin Fields — who himself has left the game due to a hand injury and will not return.

The injuries are beginning to mount once again for this Vikings team, who suffered a slew of injuries last week, too. With Davenport officially out for the game, we’ll have to see if the Vikings defense can remain aggressive and effective. So far, they’ve done well to confuse the Bears quarterbacks and bring continuous pressure.

Brian Flores and the Vikings defense have been aggressive all season, and today has been no exception. Davenport’s absence will throw a wrench in those plans, but multiple guys on the defensive front have had success today.

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Cowboys’ Zack Martin: ‘Just being smart’ by coming out of game after 4th-quarter leg whip

From @ToddBrock24f7: Martin was rolled up on after a red-zone run by Tony Pollard, but re-entered the game for the final snaps and said afterward he feels good.

Cowboys right guard Zack Martin gave fans a few nervous moments throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s interconference matchup with the Jets. Then, right at the end of another dominant performance in the team’s 30-10 Week 2 win, he gave one last scare.

The 32-year-old was seen visibly limping around in the fourth quarter and even came out of the lineup for a time. But the eight-time Pro Bowler was back on the field to do the famous “Landry Shift” as part of the Cowboys’ victory formation in the game’s final moments.

And he maintains that there’s no cause for long-term concern.

“I feel good, just got rolled up a little bit,” Martin told reporters at his AT&T Stadium locker after the win. “Just being smart there at the end of the game, but I feel good.”

The injury came on the first play from scrimmage after Jayron Kearse’s interception and return put the Cowboys offense on the Jets’ 17-yard-line with under 12 minutes to go. Running back Tony Pollard plowed his way up the middle for an 8-yard gain, but took out Martin from behind on his way to the turf.

Martin stayed on the ground briefly. He carried on, but was noticeably hobbled for the remainder of the series, which ended in a Brandon Aubrey 30-yard field goal.

The next time the Cowboys had the ball, Martin stayed on the sideline, causing a shuffle along the Dallas offensive line.

Undrafted rookie T.J. Bass, already in at left guard for the injured Chuma Edoga (who was himself subbing for the injured Tyler Smith), shifted over to Martin’s right guard spot; fifth-round draft pick Asim Richards took over at left guard.

Martin was able to return for the contest’s final possession, and said he would have been able to stay in the game if the score had been closer.

Afterward, Martin looked to be getting around with no problem.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he visited with Martin after the game and told media members, “He seems to be okay.”

The team will no doubt be smart with Martin’s ankle as this week of prep starts and could potentially limit his work in practice as the Cowboys gear up for a visit to Arizona in Week 3.

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But the perennial All-Pro knows that the team has quality depth players who are ready to step in whenever they’re needed.

“Obviously, Chuma in there, and then T.J. Bass came in, Asim Richards, all those guys. They’re ready to go and they’re ready to play, which is great to see,” Martin said. “The coaches have done a great job getting those guys prepared, knowing their number could be called at any time.”

The Cowboys offensive line cleared the way for 134 rushing yards by Dallas ball carriers on Sunday and held the vaunted New York defense to just one sack in the decisive win.

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