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).