NFL Injury Report - Fantasy Football Wild Card Round: Jalen Hurts & More
With the NFL Wild Card round kicking off this weekend, we have to start diving into the NFL injuries we’re going to be monitoring moving forward.
We don’t have a lot of data, but we do have some.
NFL Injury Report - Wild Card Round: Fantasy Football Injuries
As the week goes on and practices are in full swing, we’ll have a better idea on the likes of Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, and Zay Flowers, but for now we just have the coach speak.
Let’s dive into the Fantasy Football Wild Card Round injury report and see what we’re monitoring.
NFL Wild Card Round Injury Report: Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts Injury Update - Concussion
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jalen Hurts was still in concussion protocol as of Monday, but until the Eagles practice, they’re going to keep it close to their chest with how close to advancing through the protocol Hurts is. Once Hurts has to practice, he’ll have to report no symptoms the next day and there’s nothing out there suggesting he won’t be available for the Eagles this weekend.
Jordan Love Injury Update - Elbow
Although Jordan Love was banged up in the Packers Week 18 loss against the Bears, he would’ve returned in a situation they needed him. Reality is they didn’t, and need him healthy for the Wild Card round, which he’ll be ready for.
NFL Wild Card Round Injury Report: Running Backs
David Montgomery Injury Update - Knee
So, if you weren’t watching Sunday Night Football or weren’t thinking about the possibility of David Montgomery returning, you should probably start to. Montgomery went through a full workout, according to this article in the Detroit Free Press and hinted at the return as well.
Gus Edwards Injury Update - Ankle
There’s nothing official on the status of Gus Edwards heading into the postseason, but after missing the Chargers Week 18 game with an ankle injury, questions were raised. More questions were raised when the Chargers signed Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad on Monday. Insurance for Edwards for sure.
Justice Hill Injury Update - Illness
We’ve heard this from the Ravens before, but Justice Hill is trending in the right direction for this weekend. That was also said earlier in the week before Week 18 and he sat out, but this is the playoffs, so we’ll see.
NFL Wild Card Round Injury Report: Wide Receivers
Zay Flowers Injury Update - Knee
Zay Flowers was banged up in Week 18 after being hit in the knee and was forced from the game. Head coach John Harbaugh did not really give any clarity on the seriousness of it but deemed Flowers day-to-day.
Amari Cooper Injury Update - Personal
As it currently stands, Amari Cooper is away from the Bills with a personal family matter. Head coach Sean McDermott told the media that he hopes that Cooper will be back for the playoffs and that they’re taking it one day at a time.
Christian Watson Injury Update - Knee
Christian Watson entered the Packers Week 18 game with a knee injury and exited with a more severe one as the reports confirmed he has a torn ACL. Obviously his 2024 is over, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL has reported the start of his 2025 season is now in question.
Joshua Palmer Injury Update - Foot
After missing Week 18, it remains to be seen if Joshua Palmer will be active for the first round of the playoffs for the Chargers. Before the Chargers played their Week 18 game, head coach Jim Harbaugh said he wasn’t sure if Palmer would be available or not because he doesn’t predict the future.
NFL Wild Card Round Injury Report: Tight Ends
Cade Otton Injury Update - Knee
After logging limited practices during their Week 18 preparation, it remains to be seen if Cade Otton will be available in the playoffs but the likelihood of it is improving by the day. That said, head coach Todd Bowles gave the media a ‘we’ll see’ answer, so we’ll just have to wait for the practice reports for something more official.
Player News
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said “I never know what’s going to happen” when asked if he expects Mark Andrews to be with the team in 2025.
“I can tell you this, Mark Andrews is a warrior. He’s a great player and we’re in the business of keeping as many great players as we can,” DeCosta continued. It’s a bit of a departure from John Harbaugh saying he “fully expected” Andrews to be here in late March. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Andrews may be available in a trade but that nobody has really given the Ravens an offer they’d consider feasible. We’d bet on Andrews returning still, but it is noteworthy that DeCosta wouldn’t commit to it.
NewOrleans Football’s Mike Triplett’s “best guess” is that Derek Carr is “trying to force a divorce” with the Saints.
“Either a) he legitimately is like my shoulder has reached a point where I think I’d rather take care of it than play this season or ... b) it’s some sort of threat, like we asked for you guys to release us, you didn’t, we were upset when you just restructured the contract instead of trying to work out a release, so now here’s another path for us not showing us, and maybe now we’ll force a release,” Triplett continued. “I don’t know how there’s any resolution from this,” Triplett added. The Athletic’s Diana Russini added that she believes Carr does not want the “Kirk Cousins treatment” where a team is not committed to him long-term. Triplett and Nick Underhill believe that Carr wanted out and was very upset when the Saints restructured his contract and forced him to stay. It sure feels like Carr is intent on not playing for the Saints this season.
Chargers LB Daiyan Henley (shoulder) expects to be ready for training camp.
Henley had surgery to repair a torn labrum that he played through for the final four months of the season. Henley told ESPN’s Kris Rhim that he expects to be “100 percent” before training camp. If for whatever reason Henley is slow coming back it could be an opening for 2024 third-rounder Junior Colson.
Panthers GM Dan Morgan said Georgia LB Jalon Walker would be a 3-4 linebacker in Carolina’s system.
While Morgan also spent the press conference telling interested teams the Panthers would be willing to move down, it was a little more telling that he spoke about the Georgia LB prospect in such finished terms. He didn’t do so at the combine. The Panthers have widely been perceived as interested in drafting a defender at No. 8 overall and Walker would be a logical fit for them.
Giants are hosting a private workout with Louisville QB Tyler Shough.
Shough, a rising name in the process per Dianna Russini, is one of several draft-eligible quarterbacks the Giants are doing late work on including Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe. Shough’s rookie year will also be his age-26 season, so he’d be a bit of a weird developmental pick to hang behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Perhaps the Giants think he could compete for the job right away, or be ready to play the second half of the season.
Tyron Smith retired from the NFL after 14 seasons.
Smith, who played right tackle in college at USC before flipping to the left side in the pros, retires with a borderline Hall of Fame resume. He was named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team and finished first-team All-Pro twice along with three placements on the second team. Smith was especially dominant over a 2013-2016 peak wherein he finished with an 85.9 PFF grade or higher in all four seasons. Injuries slowed him in his later years, including in a 10-game stint with the Jets that concluded with him on injured reserve with a neck injury in 2024. He’ll sign a one-day contract to retire as a Cowboy.