We are just over a week away from Super Bowl 50 as the Broncos take on the Panthers. It will be the culmination of an exciting and turbulent fantasy football season filled with more injuries than owners could handle. There are not many injuries to report that will have much of an impact on the big game itself, so it is again refreshing to prepare for next weekend’s fantasy football matchups with a fully healthy slate. So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.
Dez Bryant (WR-DAL)
Bryant candidly admitted that he was never fully healthy when he came back from his foot injury earlier this season. He fractured his foot in Week 1 and then missed the next couple months before coming back to try and salvage the Cowboys’ season. Bryant was clearly never the same and had further procedures done after the regular season ended. He is expected to be ready for 2016 and should return to elite status with a clean bill of health.
Tony Romo (QB-DAL)
It seems likely that Tony Romo will undergo surgery on his collarbone this offseason. Romo has suffered multiple serious to his clavicle over the years which has cost him numerous games throughout the course of his career. He is expected to be fine for OTA’s next summer so there is little to be concerned about heading into 2016.
Thomas Davis (LB-CAR)
Not even a broken arm is going to stop Thomas Davis from playing in the Super Bowl. He suffered the injury during the NFC Championship game against Arizona and then underwent surgery earlier this week to have a metal plate and screws inserted into his arm. He is not practicing this week which was expected, but as of now the Panthers expect to have him on the field for the big game next weekend.
Jared Allen (DL-CAR)
Allen missed the NFC Championship with a fractured foot but has been practicing in a full capacity this week in preparation for the Super Bowl. It turns out the Panthers didn’t need Allen anyway against Arizona. His return to the field will only add to the headaches Carolina’s defense is going to inflict on Peyton Manning.
Darian Stewart (FS-DEN)
Stewart proclaims that he will be ready for the Super Bowl after suffering a sprained MCL against New England in the AFC Championship last week. His presence on the field will be critical for any success Denver may have defending both the Panthers’ running game and keeping Cam Newton in check.
Jerod Mayo (LB-NE)
Mayo had surgery this week on his torn pectoral muscle. The injury landed him on injured reserve prior to the AFC Championship. He has had a significant injury end his season several times in his career so this was unfortunately more of the same for him. He should be healthy for 2016 but it remains to be seen whether he will be back in New England.
Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment).
Player News
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026