This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
It's always a bit odd when two players that play the same position suffer a relatively uncommon injury. Last week, I detailed Anthony Richardson's oblique injury, and now the Saints quarterback finds himself dealing with a comparable issue. Carr was injured in the team's Monday night loss to the Chiefs and was unable to finish the game. He admitted the injury left him unable to throw effectively. This is unsurprising as the obliques are directly involved in trunk rotation and even a mild strain here would be functionally limiting. Carr is slated to undergo an MRI and his status for Sunday's matchup remains uncertain. A one-week absence seems probable with a multiweek absence coming if the testing reveals a moderate to severe strain. Jake Haener will start at quarterback if Carr misses any time.
Collins was unable to build on his impressive start in Week 5, leaving the game with a hamstring strain following a 67-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Collins has been battling the issue for the past two weeks, but it appears he will miss time after aggravating the area. Hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle, largely in part to the delicate nature of the healing process. Even if an athlete reports feeling fine, the scar tissue placed at the injury site is not as strong as healthy muscle tissue. As a result, aggravations or new injuries along the kinetic chain are more likely to occur. The Texans are already calling
It's always a bit odd when two players that play the same position suffer a relatively uncommon injury. Last week, I detailed Anthony Richardson's oblique injury, and now the Saints quarterback finds himself dealing with a comparable issue. Carr was injured in the team's Monday night loss to the Chiefs and was unable to finish the game. He admitted the injury left him unable to throw effectively. This is unsurprising as the obliques are directly involved in trunk rotation and even a mild strain here would be functionally limiting. Carr is slated to undergo an MRI and his status for Sunday's matchup remains uncertain. A one-week absence seems probable with a multiweek absence coming if the testing reveals a moderate to severe strain. Jake Haener will start at quarterback if Carr misses any time.
Collins was unable to build on his impressive start in Week 5, leaving the game with a hamstring strain following a 67-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Collins has been battling the issue for the past two weeks, but it appears he will miss time after aggravating the area. Hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle, largely in part to the delicate nature of the healing process. Even if an athlete reports feeling fine, the scar tissue placed at the injury site is not as strong as healthy muscle tissue. As a result, aggravations or new injuries along the kinetic chain are more likely to occur. The Texans are already calling Collins "week-to-week," suggesting this is a more moderate strain. Look for Houston to manage his recovery conservatively to avoid making this a chronic issue and reduce the chances of Collins yo-yoing in and out of the lineup.
The Giants have not provided a recent update on Nabers' status after the rookie missed his first game of the season with a concussion. However, the receiver is working his way through the league's mandated return to play protocol and will get another chance to complete the process in the week ahead. Even if New York remains tight-lipped on specifics, keep an eye on Naber's daily status to get a better idea on his potential availability. Based on his activity level in last week's practice, he appears to be on Step 2 or 3, meaning he remains limited to individual drills and time-specific football-related drills. If Nabers does eventually make an appearance in practice wearing a red jersey, it will be a clear indicator he has moved on to the fourth step of the five-step process. The final steps would allow him to complete a practice without restrictions, paving the way for a return on Sunday. Darius Slayton performed well in Nabers' absence, finishing Week 5 with eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith: The Eagles expect to have both their top receiving options back in the lineup after they made significant improvements during the bye week. Brown has not appeared in a game since Week 1 when he strained his hamstring. I suspect Week 6 was always the target return for Brown given the Week 5 off-week, allowing the wide receiver ample time to recover and reduce the odds of a setback. He will still move forward with an elevated degree of injury risk, but the Eagles did their best to mitigate those chances. Smith's recovery is more straightforward as he recovered from a concussion. He will likely complete the protocol early in the week and eventually return to full practice in preparation for Week 6. The return of this dynamic duo should elevate Jalen Hurts' ceiling. Hurts threw two touchdowns in Week 1 with both receivers at his disposable but has only thrown a total of two in the following next three weeks combined.
Turf Burns
De'Von Achane: The Miami running back did not finish the team's win over New England in Week 5 after suffering a concussion. He will enter the concussion protocol but have a full two weeks to complete the process thanks to a well-time bye week for the Dolphins. His next chance to play comes October 20 against the Colts.
Aaron Jones: The Vikings running back made an early exit in Week 5 due to an undisclosed hip injury. Fortunately, the Vikings think it is a short-term problem and believe he could return after the team's Week 6 bye. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on the affected area, though those results may not be made public until next week.
Joe Mixon: A possible Collins' absence could be eased by the return of Mixon, though the running back's status remains unclear. Mixon has not played since spraining his ankle in Week 2 and continues to carry the dreaded "week-to-week" label. Look for an update to come later in the week, though it wouldn't be shocking to see him sit at least one more week. Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale will continue to split carries with Mixon out.
Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson: Both Colts players were spectators for the team's loss to the Jaguars. Taylor (ankle) and Richardson (oblique) suffered their respective injuries in Week 4 and will attempt to return to face the Titans. Richardson appears to be ahead of Taylor, as he was able to do some limited work last week, and the team is "extremely optimistic" he will play in Week 6. Taylor did not practice leading up to the Jaguars game but is also hopeful he can rejoin his teammates this week. Look for both to return to practice in some capacity this week with a realistic shot and playing.
Rashee Rice: We are finally getting a bit of clarity surrounding Rice's mysterious knee injury. While it was initially believed Rice tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee, additional testing suggests the damage is limited to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL). He is expected to undergo surgery to repair the LCL at which time the doctor will examine the integrity of the other structures of his knee. If the damage remains isolated to the LCL, Rice will still miss the rest of the season BUT should be able to be a full participate in training camp. Any possible ACL involvement would result in lengthier rehab process and most likely carry over into training camp and possibly the regular season. Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday and will ultimately influence his value in keeper and dynasty leagues.
