Tag: injury news

Raiders vs Jaguars injury report: Raiders starting OL misses another practice

All the latest updates and news on Raiders injury report ahead of a Week 16 game vs. Jaguars.

There were no changes in status on Thursday’s injury report for the Raiders. Which means one of their starting offensive linemen was missing for a second straight day as they prepare for the Jaguars on Sunday.

Raiders, Jaguars injury report

G Jordan Meredith injury update

Meredith injured his ankle in the team’s loss to the Falcons Monday night. He has now missed two days of practices, which means his absence was not rest or precautionary, but rather raises the possibility he could miss the game on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Should he not be able to go, it would be Cody Whitehair who would step up to start. Whitehair had started three games at left guard earlier this season.

QB Aidan O’Connell injury update

Another full practice means there is a strong likelihood O’Connell will start Sunday after missing Monday’s game with a bone bruise in his knee.

WR Jakobi Meyers injury update

Meyers was once again limited by an ankle injury.

Positive injury news on Commanders’ defensive starter

More potentially good news for the Commanders.

It’s getting to the point in the season where injuries mount. The Washington Commanders, who just came off a bye week, saw two key starters leave Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints due to concussions.

Starting tight end Zach Ertz left during the second quarter and was quickly ruled out. Ertz’s head hit the ground hard after a catch inside New Orleans’s five-yard line.

Safety Jeremy Chinn left the game in the second half and did not return. On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Ertz and Chinn were in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Running back Austin Ekeler is currently on injured reserve after suffering his second concussion this season in Week 12.

On Wednesday, the Commanders returned to practice in preparation for a Week 16 rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won the first meeting in Week 11, 26-18.

In some good news, Chinn was on the practice field for the Commanders. While he was limited, seeing him back on the field so soon after the concussion was surprising. While Chinn is not yet cleared, his status will be worth watching over the next two days.

Ertz did not practice, which is customary for him on Wednesday, as it has been a rest day for the 12-year veteran.

Chinn has been an integral part of the Commanders’ defense, which has significantly improved from last season.

Commanders could get DT Jonathan Allen back soon

More good news for Jonathan Allen and the Commanders.

We learned last week that Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen could return this season. Allen tore his pec in a Week 6 game at Baltimore. And while a torn pec is often a season-ending injury, Allen’s was only a partial tear, giving the Commanders hope that he could return this season.

On Wednesday, Washington opened Allen’s 21-day practice window, meaning it has 21 days to either activate him from injured reserve to the 53-man roster or end his season. When a team opens an injured player’s 21-day window, they are likely close to a return.

Head coach Dan Quinn spoke about Allen’s potential return on Wednesday.

“Yeah, well first I think it’s a remarkable part of the rehab, for him to go through it,” Quinn said. “There’s a lengthy protocol in the return to make sure we don’t miss a step along the way. For us, you’ve heard us say protecting the team, that’s the player too. So, we did that with Marshon [Lattimore] too and [Allen’s] really worked hard to get ready into this space. So, we’ll just kind of take it, practice as we’re going, but he’ll be back in with the team today and going through it.”

Allen did practice but was limited.

Allen’s potential return comes when the Commanders are battling to make the playoffs. At 9-5, Washington currently possesses the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoff field. The Commanders host the Eagles this weekend and close the season against the Falcons and Cowboys.

Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tight end Evan Engram had successful surgeries to address season-ending injuries this week, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday.

Lawrence underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, which he suffered in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

After missing two games due to the injury, Lawrence returned to play in Week 13 against Houston but sustained a concussion on an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

The combination of injuries led Jacksonville to place Lawrence on its injured reserve on Dec. 4, ending his season. He cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday, allowing him to schedule his shoulder operation for Tuesday.

Engram hurt his shoulder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, which he was originally expected to play through, per Pederson. However, testing revealed Engram suffered a labrum injury that required surgery, which he had on Monday.

Like Lawrence, Engram was moved to the Jaguars’ injured reserve on Saturday, ending his campaign.

“Everything was positive in both players’ cases and just now looking forward to recovery time,” Pederson said Wednesday.

Lawrence finished his season having completed 172-of-284 passing for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 119 yards and three scores, in 10 starts.

Engram, who also missed Weeks 2-5 with a hamstring injury, caught 47 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown in nine starts.

While it is unclear if Lawrence and Engram will be cleared to participate in organized team activities (OTAs), which occurred in May this past offseason, Pederson anticipates both players recovering fully from their surgeries by sometime this spring.

“Don’t know that yet. It’s hard to put a timeframe on it, you don’t want to rush it,” said Pederson. “I guess the thing is too, in both cases, they’re not long-term, lengthy-type surgeries [or] recovery time. So, at some point this spring they’ll be ready to go.”

Jaguars new starting TE dealing with shoulder injury

Jaguars new starting TE dealing with shoulder injury

Jaguars’ new starting tight end Brenton Strange is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and will begin Week 16 limited in practice, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Wednesday.

Strange took over as Jacksonville’s starting tight end for the rest of the year after Evan Engram was ruled out for the season with a labrum injury last week.

Strange caught a career-high 11 passes for 73 yards against the New York Jets on Sunday.

“Brenton [had an] AC sprain coming out of the game. He’ll just be a little bit limited, he’ll be fine,” Pederson said. “We’ll just limit him today, no contact, things like that.”

Jacksonville’s second-round, No. 61 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Strange has logged 34 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and seven starts this season, a breakout campaign after he hauled in only five passes for 35 yards and one touchdown as a rookie.

Strange started for Jacksonville in Weeks 2-5 as Engram nursed a hamstring injury suffered in the first game of the season, against the Miami Dolphins.

“Brenton’s been a bright spot for us,” Pederson described Strange Monday. “Somebody who we’ve always, as a staff, really have had a lot of confidence in. I think too for Brenton, it’s just a matter of getting that opportunity, and now he has it, obviously, under unfortunate circumstances. But he really has just been a bright spot.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked. He does a great job in the run game, he’s physical. Then, you’re seeing what he can do in the pass game. Great hands, ability to separate and get open, and then break tackles. That’s what you want from your tight end.”

Jacksonville will face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Week 16, at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Raiders RB Sincere McCormick message for fans suggest his season is over

Raiders RB Sincere McCormick took to instagram with a message to the fans. And it sounds like he is done for the season.

Just when Raiders fans were getting excited to see what kind of hidden gem they might have in RB Sincere McCormick, the former undrafted back went down with an injury.

There had yet to be any official word from the Raiders as of Tuesday morning, but McCormick took to instagram to speak on it himself. And it doesn’t sound very positive in terms of him returning this season.

“Hey, y’all, I just want to give a shout out to everybody who kept me in their prayers,” McCormick said in an instagram video. “It’s nothing too crazy though, so I mean honestly I’ll be back next season. I’m not really even tripping about it. I’ll be better than ever. But I want to thank everybody for reaching out and saying thank you to me and I appreciate y’all.”

There are just three games left in the season for the Raiders. Which means if the injury is even somewhat serious, McCormick could miss the remainder of the season. And a trip to injured reserve would make it official. That’s where it sounds like it’s headed for McCormick.

Zach Ertz injury vs Saints: Latest news on Commanders TE

Injury update on Commanders TE Zach Ertz.

The Washington Commanders were driving for their second touchdown in the first half against the New Orleans Saints when quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a bullet to tight end Zach Ertz. Ertz made a phenomenal one-handed catch, picking up 19 yards and giving the Commanders a first-and-goal from the three-yard line.

Unfortunately, Ertz was slow to get up after the play and entered the blue medical tent. He then headed to the locker room with around five minutes remaining in the first half.

Here’s the catch Ertz made.

The highlight didn’t show where Ertz was injured. The following X post shows that he took a hard hit to the ground when tackled.

The team has confirmed that Ertz suffered a concussion and is ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Ben Sinnott and John Bates will handle tight end duties for the Commanders.

Washington will host Ertz’s former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, next week at a big NFC East showdown.

Raiders once promising 2024 defense obliterated by injury

There were high hopes for the Raiders defense this season. Then injuries hit and they just got worse and worse.

No defense came out of the 2023 season hotter than the one the Raiders were fielding. Over the stretch run under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, they were the best defense in football.

Then come 2024 it all fell apart.

The issues started before the season began and injuries were part of the problem.

A prominent role in the resurgent defense was Malcolm Koonce who had eight sacks in the final nine games coming off the left edge. And just prior to the start of the season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury that would require surgery.

His spot has been filled by a committee of four different edge rushers this season who have as many sacks combined (eight) in 13 games as Koonce had alone in the previous nine games.

Soon the Raiders would be without both their starting edge rushers. In week a week two win in Baltimore, All Pro Maxx Crosby would suffer a high ankle sprain that hobbled him in an ugly loss to the Panthers and then cost him the first game of his career. He would return the following week, but it was clear he was fighting through the pain each week since then. More on that later.

Another major piece to the Raiders strong defense last season was new safety Marcus Epps. Three games into what was to be a contract year for him in 2024, Epps was lost to an ACL injury. He has been replaced by Isaiah Pola-Mao and there has been a noticeable drop off in safety play as a result.

The biggest splash free agent addition in the NFL was the Raiders landing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. He was supposed to complete the Raiders defensive line and make a formidable one-two punch with Maxx Crosby. Five games into the season, he went down with a broken foot and was lost for the season.

Adam Butler has done well stepping into a more prominent role, though it’s hard not to imagine how much better the line would be had he been able to team up with Wilkins. In just five games, the Pro Bowler had 11 solo tackles, which is *still* second most on the team among interior defensive linemen despite being without him for two months.

At the same time, starting linebacker Divine Deablo was in the midst of a three-game stint on the inactive list. Then backup Luke Masterson got injured too, leading to the team starting fifth round rookie Tommy Eichenberg.

Midway through the season, the cornerbacks went from healthy to nearly wiped out in an instant. Week nine in Cincinnati, just prior to the bye week, the team simultaneously lost starting cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Nate Hobbs.  Bennett is lost for the season with a shoulder injury and Hobbs’s ankle injury has had him out for the equivalent of a trip to injured reserve and is finally set to return this week.

There. was even a couple games there where the Raiders had no starting safeties on the field. Jack Jones got banged up as well and the Raiders had all reserves on the field, with no cornerbacks left on the roster should one of them go down with injury.

Which brings us to the most devastating injury news this team could have — Maxx Crosby is done for the season.

Crosby had done well to put his ankle injury behind him. Then last Sunday in Tampa, he got rolled up on again and re-injured it. This time there was no fighting through it. For the sake of his own long term health — and with the team long since eliminated from playoff contention — he shut it down and opted to have surgery.

That means more than half of the team’s starting defense has either been placed on injured reserve, or — in the case of Hobbs — spent the equivalent of a trip to IR sidelined this season.

Based on the way the Raiders have played overall this season, the defense probably wouldn’t have been able to save them. Particularly with regard to the play at quarterback. But it could offer some hope that should the bulk of those players return next season — presumably with a better QB — this team could bounce back quickly.

Report: Jets star RB Breece Hall expected to play vs. Jaguars

Report: Jets star RB Breece Hall expected to play vs. Jaguars

New York Jets star running back Breece Hall is expected to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday after entering the weekend questionable due to a knee injury, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported overnight.

Hall missed New York’s Week 14, 32-26 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins due to his injury, which Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich described as related to an ACL tear Hall had surgery to repair in 2022.

Hall has rushed 164 times for 692 yards and four touchdowns and caught 46 passes for 401 yards and two scores in 12 games this season. His 1,093 yards from scrimmage rank No. 16 in the NFL this year.

The Jets previously ruled backup running back Kene Nwangwu and cornerbacks, starter D.J. Reed and backup Brandin Echols, out against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville only ruled starting tight end Evan Engram out against New York on its Friday injury report. Engram has since been placed on the injured reserve with a labrum injury that will require surgery.

Jets downgrade starting CB to out vs. Jaguars

Jets downgrade starting CB to out vs. Jaguars

The New York Jets downgraded starting cornerback D.J. Reed, as well as backup center Xavier Newman, from doubtful to out against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, the club announced on Saturday.

Both Reed and Newman were labeled doubtful to play against Jacksonville on New York’s Friday injury report. Reed missed two days of practice this week with a groin injury; Newman missed one and was otherwise limited with a hurt groin, too.

In his third season as a member of New York’s starting secondary, Reed has produced 50 total tackles including two for loss, one sack and 10 defended passes in 11 games this year.

The Jets ruled Reed’s backup, cornerback Brandin Echols, out of Week 15 with a hurt shoulder on Friday. Despite appearing on the injury report with a hamstring injury this week, starting New York cornerback Sauce Gardner will play against Jacksonville.

Jacksonville vs. New York is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.