Football is a violent sport that puts every player at risk. Injuries can be mild or life-altering. The Week 5 NFL Injury Report begins with a scary scene from Monday night.
The sideline image of Hill's injury will be seared into the brains of those watching live. The Miami receiver had his left knee violently twisted as he was brought to the ground, resulting in a knee dislocation. The medical staff quickly loaded Hill onto a cart where he was later transported to the hospital.
Dislocations of the knee joint happen in two areas. The more common, and less severe, region is a patella or kneecap dislocation. In this injury, the kneecap is forced out of its normal track in the knee. Hill's injury was not a patella dislocation. Instead, Hill suffered a true knee joint dislocation, meaning the hinge joint formed by the femur and the two lower leg bones, the tibia and the fibula, is forced out of alignment. These are generally high-energy injuries, usually seen in car accidents. In the process all the stabilizing structures of the knee, i.e., the cruciate ligaments, the collateral ligaments, menisci and bone, are vulnerable to injury.
Furthermore, the injury can be limb or even life threatening as the popliteal artery, the blood vessel located behind the knee that is responsible for supplying blood to the lower leg, can be damaged. Nerve damage is also possible, making emergency transportation to the hospital a must.
While rare, there have been cases
Football is a violent sport that puts every player at risk. Injuries can be mild or life-altering. The Week 5 NFL Injury Report begins with a scary scene from Monday night.
The sideline image of Hill's injury will be seared into the brains of those watching live. The Miami receiver had his left knee violently twisted as he was brought to the ground, resulting in a knee dislocation. The medical staff quickly loaded Hill onto a cart where he was later transported to the hospital.
Dislocations of the knee joint happen in two areas. The more common, and less severe, region is a patella or kneecap dislocation. In this injury, the kneecap is forced out of its normal track in the knee. Hill's injury was not a patella dislocation. Instead, Hill suffered a true knee joint dislocation, meaning the hinge joint formed by the femur and the two lower leg bones, the tibia and the fibula, is forced out of alignment. These are generally high-energy injuries, usually seen in car accidents. In the process all the stabilizing structures of the knee, i.e., the cruciate ligaments, the collateral ligaments, menisci and bone, are vulnerable to injury.
Furthermore, the injury can be limb or even life threatening as the popliteal artery, the blood vessel located behind the knee that is responsible for supplying blood to the lower leg, can be damaged. Nerve damage is also possible, making emergency transportation to the hospital a must.
While rare, there have been cases of knee dislocations in the NFL. In 2017, tight end Zach Miller saw his career end when he suffered a knee dislocation that was accompanied by significant popliteal artery damage. He initially underwent a graft to repair the damage and eventually underwent nine surgeries on the knee before he was forced to retire. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater dislocated his knee in 2016, tearing multiple structures in the joint while avoiding blood vessel and nerve damage. He managed to return in Week 15 of the following season in a brief relief appearance. Running backs Nick Chubb and Marcus Lattimore both suffered knee dislocations while in college but avoided arterial and nerve damage. Chubb bounced back nicely before suffering another complex ACL tear in 2023.
It has been confirmed Hill has torn multiple ligaments in his knee, including the ACL. He is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday where the total amount of damaged sustained will be determined. His season is over and he now faces a lengthy road to recovery.
The Ravens quarterback did not finish the team's loss to the Chiefs Sunday after suffering a hamstring strain. It is unclear when the injury occurred, but Jackson never returned after a third quarter drive but was later seen sitting on the sideline with a heat pack positioned near his knee.
The hamstrings are not actually a single muscle but a group of three muscles situated on the posterior aspect of the thigh. The muscle group originates at the hip, and anchors to the tibia and the fibula. This positioning makes the hamstring a multi-joint muscle group, allowing them to influence motion at both the hip and knee. This dynamic layout allows the hamstrings to play a critical role in high-speed and explosive movements like running, jumping and changing direction.
A hamstring strain can occur in different locations of the affected muscles. The muscle belly, located mid-thigh, is the most common site of damage, while strains involving the tendons at either end occur less frequently but are considered more severe. Each strain site can be graded based on severity of damage sustained. As a result, recovery time can be highly variable. Healing can also be complicated by the complex nature of the process that requires patience and balance in treatment.
Despite the sideline cam catching Jackson heating his distal hamstring, there has been no confirmation of the location or severity of the former MVP's injury. Consider him day-to-day with more concrete information likely to trickle out over the next few days of practice. Cooper Rush will start against the Texans in Week 5 if Jackson is forced to sit.
Turf Burns
Jayden Daniels: The Commanders quarterback has missed back-to-back games but is expected to return for Week 5. Daniels suffered a knee sprain in Week 2 but was able to return to limited practice last week. Look for him to steadily up his level of participation in this week's practices and, barring a setback, be back in action against the Chargers.
Bucky Irving: An undisclosed injury required Irving to undergo an MRI, though information remains limited. Irving appeared to have rolled his ankle in Sunday's loss to the Eagles but still managed to put together a monster performance. Monitor his status in further NFL injury updates in the days ahead and consider him day-to-day for now.
CeeDee Lamb: The Cowboys wide receiver was seen wearing a stabilizing boot on the sidelines Sunday night as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. A return in Week 5 is highly unlikely, but the fact that Dallas did not place him on the IR suggests a Week 6 return is at least possible. A Week 7 return against Washington seems more plausible, but it's encouraging to see Lamb progressing.
Terry McLaurin: McLaurin has had a disappointing start to the season and remains slowed by a quadriceps injury. He did not play in Week 4 but is "trending in the right direction" according to coach Dan Quinn. A possible return of McLaurin along with Daniels could help get the Commanders offensive attack back on track. Still, it will take a stretch of sustained health and productivity for McLaurin to regain his draft day value.
Malik Nabers: The Giants receiver is lost for the year after tearing the ACL in his right knee. He has already been placed on the IR and is expected to undergo surgery in the near future. While the injury is a setback, the timing of the injury will realistically give Nabers a chance to be back for the start of the 2026 season. There is a track record of talented receivers, including Keenan Allen, Jordy Nelson and Cooper Kupp, who have suffered early season ACL tears and were not only in a uniform for Week 1 but also returned to an elite level of productivity. Nabers could easily join this list, particularly if the injury is an isolated ACL tear.
San Francisco 49ers Offense
The 49ers are facing a short week of preparation as they are slated to face the Rams on Thursday night. The abbreviated time between games could impact the availability of quarterback Brock Purdy and his two wide receivers. Purdy reported renewed soreness in the previous injured toe that forced him out of Week 2 and Week 3. As a result, he was a nonparticipant on the team's estimated injury report. Purdy will need to log at least one practice before fantasy managers can feel safe about his chances of playing.
There is also concern as to whom Purdy will be throwing the ball, as both Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings are nursing injuries. Pearsall is tending to a "mild" PCL sprain. The PCL sits behind the ACL and prevents hyperextension of the joint while creating an axis point for rotation. Even a mild PCL sprain can be difficult to manage and very limiting, so those invested in Pearsall may want to adjust their expectations, especially if he continues to miss practice.
Jennings is nursing a pair of injuries including an ankle sprain and a rib injury. Both appear to be more about pain management than anything, but Jennings doesn't have time on his side. Tread cautiously here as well.
