Tag: shoulder injury

Report: Highly-praised Cowboys safety out for season; may require surgery after gruesome injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: Special teams coordinator raved about Markquese Bell, whose reported shoulder dislocation will cost him the rest of the 2024 season.

The annual war of attrition has claimed yet another Cowboy, with one member of the coaching staff offering an all-too-rare reminder this week of the human side to the sport and the very personal cost to the men who make it their life’s work.

Safety Markquese Bell will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, it was announced Wednesday. That decision comes after the third-year man out of Florida A&M suffered a dislocated shoulder while making a tackle in Monday night’s game with the Texans.

Per Todd Archer of ESPN, multiple sources report that the injury may require surgery. It looked quite serious in the moment, and Bell needed considerable help getting off the field after it happened in the second quarter of the 34-10 loss.

After a second season that saw him get converted to linebacker under Dan Quinn, Bell had seen fairly limited action back at safety with Mike Zimmer’s defense in 2024. He had played just 34 defensive snaps, but Bell had become a real standout among special teams players.

Special teams coordinator John Fassel visibly choked up talking about Bell this week during his weekly press conference.

“That one hurts,” Fassel said when asked about the loss of the 25-year-old.

“He’s played as good [on] special teams through 10 games as I can remember,” Fassel told reporters Tuesday. “He got hurt doing what he does best, just flying in there, diving. He’s going to be okay, but man. Just, gosh. I’ve just spent so much time with these guys in meetings and the practice field and the game field. And the emotions of [going] undrafted to wanting a little bit more and accepting his role and thriving in his role… damn. I’m hurting for him, because he was on a mission. He was as good as we’ve had in a while.”

A reflective Fassel went on to talk about the relationship he’s developed with so many of his players, world-class athletes who typically don’t get the credit they deserve for sacrificing themselves over and over on seemingly routine plays that often fly well under the average fan’s radar.

“These young men are very human. Gosh, and they want so much out of their career. And I want it for them,” Fassel explained. “They’re special humans, and what they do on a daily basis is very unique.”

But injuries come part and parcel with the sport for everyone who plays it, and now the Cowboys must find a way to replace Bell on the field for the final seven games of the schedule.

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Just like Bell went back to work the morning after getting hurt, to take the first steps down his road to recovery. Fassel talked about seeing Bell in the trainers’ room just that morning and was already looking ahead to seeing him back on a football field.

Fassel hinted, though, that both men know that both being back in the star when that happens is not guaranteed.

“He had the whole thing slinged up, and he was emotional, too, because he knew what he was producing. Maybe not everybody else does, but he was producing as good as it’s been. Hopefully he’ll heal up and be back better than ever. I’m sure he will, because he’s a tough-ass kid. He is an outstanding football player. He’s got some great stuff in his future.”

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Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb gets encouraging news on shoulder injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: An MRI has confirmed that Lamb has a sprained AC joint, but he may not miss any time. History shows he’ll be just fine with Cooper Rush.

While the hamstring injury suffered by quarterback Dak Prescott in Sunday’s loss will cost the Cowboys multiple games without their leader, the team’s top offensive weapon appears to have dodged a bullet.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played through a shoulder injury for most of the game and even caught a two-point conversion late in the contest despite being in obvious pain.

Lamb has a sprained AC joint, according to multiple reports, news that would confirm the team’s early suspicions. Last season’s receptions leader will have a sore shoulder, but the injury is not considered serious. He is being called “week-to-week” and may not even miss any time.

“I’ll be out there,” Lamb told reporters. “I’ll be playing.”

The initial injury came in the second quarter after a hard fall to the turf while making a catch. A fourth-quarter dive on a deep ball aggravated the injury further, causing him to stay down momentarily and even miss several plays.

He was able to return.

Lamb totaled eight catches on 12 targets Sunday, gaining 47 yards and that two-point conversion from backup passer Cooper Rush in the waning moments of the 27-21 loss in Week 9.

Now it appears that Rush will take over in Dallas, barring a surprise roster change by the team to go with third-stringer Trey Lance.

But assuming Rush gets the gig, there may not be the dropoff for Lamb that many fans would expect at first blush. The 30-year-old quarterback out of Central Michigan has started six games as a Cowboy, and Lamb’s receiving numbers in that relatively small sample size are… actually… just fine.

Tgt Rec Yds TD
2021 at MIN 8 6 112 0
2022 vs CIN 11 7 75 0
2022 at NYG 12 8 87 1
2022 vs WAS 8 6 97 1
2022 at LAR 8 5 53 0
2022 at PHI 10 5 68 0

In Rush’s six starts, Lamb has averaged six catches on 11 targets for 82 yards per outing.

Over 74 career games, Lamb has averaged six catches on nine targets for 78 yards per outing.

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If Lamb is to play this Sunday when the Eagles come to Arlington, he’ll likely need a positive week of rehab work with the Cowboys training staff and at least one full practice under his belt by the weekend.

“It hurts, no need to shortchange it,” Lamb said of his right shoulder. “But that’s no excuse for my performance. I could have played better overall, and I’ll be better. I’m not going to put so much emphasis on it as far as me catching the ball because overall, that’s my job, but yeah, it definitely hurt.”

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MRI gives good news on Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore for Packers showdown

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran CB told reporters he’d be good to go for Sunday’s wild-card game; an MRI has backed up that prognosis.

It turns out Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore may have known exactly what he was talking about Sunday night when he downplayed the seriousness of the shoulder injury that forced him to leave the team’s Week 18 win before halftime.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, per a source, that an MRI showed “no significant damage” to the veteran’s right shoulder.

That would seem to bolster the prognosis Gilmore gave to reporters after Dallas wrapped up the NFC East crown and secured the conference’s No. 2 seed for the postseason with a 38-10 win over Washington.

“It just popped out and they popped it back in place,” he said after the game. “I feel way better now. Happy it wasn’t nothing too crazy.”

“It was better than we anticipated,” said head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday, noting that the team will monitor his progress this week at practice. The coach added that Gilmore will likely wear a harness Sunday to give the shoulder extra support.

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Gilmore hit the ground awkwardly making a play on a pass to Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin with about two minutes to play in the first half of Sunday’s season finale. He had assistance keeping his arm elevated as he made his way to the sideline and eventually the tunnel at FedEx Field. The five-time Pro Bowler was declared out for the remainder of the contest and was seen wearing an arm sling during the second half.

Despite playing only the first two quarters, Gilmore led the Cowboys defense on the night with six tackles.

And the 12th-year veteran seemed intent on being available for the Cowboys’ postseason to cap off his first year with the team. Gilmore has not made a playoff appearance since New England’s wild-card loss to Tennessee following the 2019 season.

“I’ll be good,” he said Sunday night. “I’ll be good.”

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Cowboys’ Gilmore: Shoulder ‘popped out,’ vows he’ll ‘be ready to go’ in wild-card round

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran CB missed the second half of the Cowboys’ season-ending win, but promises his shoulder injury is “nothing too crazy.”

The Cowboys secondary got a major scare late in the first half of the team’s 38-10 season-ending win when Stephon Gilmore landed awkwardly while making a play. The veteran cornerback was escorted to the locker room and did not return to action, though he was seen on the sideline with his right arm in a sling.

Early reports were that Gilmore had injured a shoulder, leaving fans to wonder if the Dallas defense would have to start their playoff run without either of the corners that had started the 2023 campaign.

But while Trevon Diggs will still be relegated to observer status for the posteason journey, Gilmore says he’ll be in uniform and on the field when the Cowboys host Green Bay in the wild-card round next weekend.

Gilmore’s shoulder “just popped out,” he said after the division-clinching win per the team website, “and they popped it back in place. I feel way better now. Happy it wasn’t nothing too crazy.”

Gilmore entered the Week 18 contest having played more snaps than any Cowboys defender this season. Nahshon Wright came on in his place to finish the game against the Commanders opposite league interception leader and first-time Pro Bowler DaRon Bland, who snared yet another pick on Sunday.

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The Cowboys secondary will face a stiff test in the wild-card round, with the red-hot Jordan Love coming to town averaging nearly two passing touchdowns per game, a rate that’s second in the league.

But if Gilmore’s self-diagnosis is to be believed, he’ll be in his usual spot when the Cowboys defense takes the field in the tournament.

“He told me was fine and he’d be ready to go,” said Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy.

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Texas QB Quinn Ewers to miss time with AC joint sprain

Quinn Ewers will miss time with an AC joint sprain.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has been one of the most impressive signal-callers of the 2023 season, quickly rising up the draft boards for the overall performance he’s put up to this point. Ewers continues to stay relevant in a crowded quarterback class for the 2024 NFL draft.

But he’ll be away from the action for a while, sidelined with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain, as was announced Sunday by ESPN.

It appeared that Ewers sustained the injury during the contest against the Houston Cougars on a short scrambling attempt when he lowered his shoulder against Houston defender David Ugwoegbu instead of sliding.

Ewers stayed in the game for the rest of the drive, which ended in a string of incompletions, before heading to the medical tent and eventually to the locker room.

He rejoined the team late in the fourth quarter on the sideline with his arm in a sling. He finished out the game going 23-of-39 passing for 211 yards with two touchdowns.

Backup Maalik Murphy in Ewers’ place, helping Texas to cross the bridge to victory as he put together a scoring drive late in the third quarter to stave off what would have been a huge upset by the Cougars.

“He’s got a hurt shoulder,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters after the game. “We’ll know more tomorrow on kind of the extent of it. He tried to play through it, but we didn’t feel comfortable enough with his ability to continue to play and that’s when Maalik went in the game.”

There is no exact timetable for Ewers’ return that has been disclosed publicly, though the estimated recovery time for this type of injury is typically, though not always, between two and four weeks.

That would align with the expectation that he will not miss the entire back half of the season.

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Report: Cowboys rookie OL Matt Waletzko to get surgery, likely to miss remainder of ’22

The fifth-round pick suffered his third shoulder sublaxation in a year on Thursday; he’s expected to get surgery and sit out until 2023. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Matt Waletzko has been on the field for exactly one snap with the Cowboys offense as a rookie.

At least the play was a big one; it will likely be Waletzko’s only offensive snap of the season.

Both the team and the rookie tackle have known he would need surgery to repair a recurring shoulder issue. He had hoped it would wait until the offseason, but on Thursday, the 6-foot-8-inch lineman’s luck ran out.

Waletzko suffered a sublaxation- his third in a year- during practice and is expected to miss the rest of the 2022 campaign, as per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

The fifth-round draft pick first suffered the injury to his left shoulder during his senior year at North Dakota and missed the final game of the 2021 college season. He was able, though, to play in the Senior Bowl and participate at the scouting combine.

But in just the Cowboys’ second practice in late July, the injury resurfaced during a drill. He was escorted off the field by trainers and missed most of the rest of training camp.

The 22-year-old finally made his Dallas debut in the team’s third preseason game against Seattle. He played five special teams snaps in Weeks 1 and 2 combined, and then six more against the Giants in Week 3, when he also was put in as a sixth blocking lineman for one play alongside fellow rookie Tyler Smith.

Waletzko and the beefed-up Cowboys line helped spring Ezekiel Elliott for a 1-yard touchdown run in the 23-16 primetime win.

A sublaxation- defined as a partial dislocation- becomes more common the more it happens. While Waletzko was able to strengthen the joint twice before to return to playing shape, he increased the likelihood of re-injuring the shoulder each time.

The Cowboys have decided that three times is enough, and that surgery that was always going to be needed just got moved up the to-do list.

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Dalvin Cook (shoulder) expected to play next Sunday

The Vikings running back seems to have avoided major injury

The Minnesota Vikings beat the Detroit Lions 28-24 in what was a massive clunker for the purple and gold. It didn’t end up mattering how the Vikings played for the first 50 minutes because the last 10 were excellent for the Vikings.

They came back from a 10 point deficit and they did so without starting running back Dalvin Cook who injured his left shoulder for what feels like the 10th time in a Vikings uniform.

After the game, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Cook would be playing in London this upcoming Sunday morning and would be wearing a shoulder brace.

This is contrary to what head coach Kevin O’Connell said at his postgame press conference where he said that Cook told him that he will play on Sunday. O’Connell spoke a slightly different tone where he said they would do “what’s best” for Cook.

Playing Cook so early could prove to be a mistake depending on the severity of the injury itself. The injury itself is that it was dislocated and a partial tear of his labrum.

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Report: Cowboys rookie OL Matt Waletzko could delay surgery, play in 2022

The rookie tackle has responded well to rest and rehab. He could start the season on IR, which would make him eligible to play this season. | From @ToddBrock24f7

When they selected him in the fifth round of the most recent draft, the Cowboys put plenty of expectations on the shoulders of 22-year-old Matt Waletzko.

Now there’s a great deal of hope resting on just one of the tackle’s sizable shoulders, the one with the dislocated joint that will require surgery.

But Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the 6-foot-8-inch rookie may be able to postpone that operation until the offseason and find his way back to the field during the 2022 schedule.

The paper cites “two people familiar with his progress” with the update.

Waletzko suffered the injury- termed a subluxation- during his senior year at North Dakota, causing him to miss the final game of the season. Still, he was named first-team all-conference and impressed at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

But the injury resurfaced in just the Cowboys’ second practice, on July 28. He was escorted off the field by trainers and has been out ever since.

Reports suggest that rest and rehab work since then has been good for the Minnesota native, and while surgery on the shoulder is a matter of when– not if– for Waletzko, further progress could make him available sometime this season and delay the procedure until afterward.

Assuming Waletzko makes the final 53-man roster on Aug. 30, the team could place him on injured reserve. He would be available to return after four missed games.

The swing tackle position is of significant interest for the Cowboys offensive line, with Tyron Smith already limping this preseason and Terence Steele now officially the permanent starter after the departure of La’el Collins.

Second-year man Josh Ball took over at swing following Waletzko’s injury and saw heavy playing time against Denver in the team’s first preseason game. It was his first game action in 20 months, and it showed.

Waletzko’s availability for the regular season could be the deciding factor in whether the club pursues outside veteran help at the position.

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Report: Tight end Jared Wiley back in practice, expected to play against Rice

Texas will be getting Jared Wiley back for Rice on Saturday. According to Horns247, the tight end is back in practice and is expected to play.

One of the few injuries Texas has dealt with early in the season has been Jared Wiley. The tight end’s shoulder has been bothering him throughout fall camp and it’s bled into the first two games.

Wiley played limited snaps in the opener against Louisiana and then completely missed last week’s Arkansas game. Texas ran a lot more one tight end formations and struggled to block the Razorbacks’ defensive front.

Thankfully, it seems as if Texas will be getting Wiley back this weekend against Rice. According to Horns247, he is back in practice and is expected to play against Rice on Saturday.

Wiley is still listed as TE2 on the depth chart, having an ‘OR’ next to his name with Gunnar Helm. However, it is believed if Wiley is fully healthy, he will be the one to get most of the playing time.

There is more to offer than just extra blocking from Wiley.

It’s no secret Hudson Card struggled throwing the ball downfield in Fayetteville. With Casey Thompson taking over this weekend, getting a receiving tight end back in the lineup should allow Sarkisian to diversify his play calling. The offense needs to get back on track quickly.

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Report: Freshman wide receiver Malik Nabers to miss several games

The LSU Tigers were hit with another injury, freshman WR Malik Nabers will miss several games.

Football season for the LSU Tigers will begin on Saturday as they head to the Rose Bowl for a showdown with the UCLA Bruins. It won’t come without some injury news.

Head coach Ed Orgeron spoke with members of the media on Wednesday morning and stated that freshman Malik Nabers will miss several games. Wilson Alexander of The Advocate reports that Nabers is dealing with a shoulder injury. The Tigers’ wide receiver depth takes a bit of a hit after Nabers showed out during fall camp.

Nabers was expected to see some time in the wide receiver rotation but that will have to wait for now. The team is deep at the position but it could slow the progression of a young wide receiver. Nabers was the No. 8 recruit out of the state of Louisiana in the 2021 recruiting class. Originally committed to play at Mississippi State but flipped on Dec. 16, 2020, and signed his letter of intent to play for Ed Orgeron.

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The Tigers are hopeful they can get off to a fast start in 2021 by taking down the Bruins. Last season LSU fell in the opener to Mississippi State 44-34. This time around they play a nonconference opponent from the Pac-12. This will be the first look for fans of the LSU changes from last year’s team.

Jake Peetz will call the plays from the booth, as will new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. The kickoff for the LSU-UCLA game is set for 7:30 pm CST and will be aired on Fox.

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