NFL injury report: DK Metcalf likely to sit in Week 8, but there’s hope for Jayden Daniels

Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 8 of fantasy football 2024. Before we dive in, here’s a quick glossary of terms commonly used by Inside Injuries: • IRC = Injury Risk Category (three designations: “Low,” “Elevated,” “High”) — the overall likelihood a player will get injured • HPF = Health Performance Factor (Peak, Above Average, Below Average, Poor) — our metric to predict player performance • ORT = Optimal Recovery Time — the amount of time a player needs to fully recover from an injury (not the same as how much time they will actually miss). The Commanders’ rookie quarterback has lived up to the hype of being the No. 2 overall draft selection. He’s led Washington to a 5-2 record while putting up over 1,400 passing yards and scoring 10 total touchdowns. That production comes, in part, from his dual-threat capabilities. The other side of that coin is that it contributed to his most recent rib injury. On Washington’s first play from scrimmage in Week 7, Daniels kept the ball on a designed run. After picking up 46 yards, he was dragged down by two defenders and sort of “folded” at the waist. He finished the series but did not return for the Commanders’ next offensive possession. Daniels is considered week-to-week with what’s described as a rib injury. He underwent testing on Monday, but the results have not been discussed. With injuries like this, there could be a few diagnoses: fracture, contusion, costochondral separation and strain. If a fracture or separation were revealed in testing, it would likely have been announced. As a result, I am assuming that Daniels has a contusion or strain. Both injuries can be played through, but the Injury Risk will be High. Daniels will have to protect himself and will likely see limited mobility if he plays in Week 8. His Health Performance Factor is Below Average. It’s been an injury-riddled start to the season for the San Francisco 49ers. They’ve been without Christian McCaffrey since Week 1. Deebo Samuel has missed time with a few injuries and was most recently hospitalized with pneumonia. Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season due to a torn ACL. And, amidst all this, Jauan Jennings is battling a hip injury. Jennings suffered what is likely a hip pointer injury during the Niners’ Week 6 win over Seattle. He missed Week 7 due to the injury and is likely to miss Week 8 as well. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was optimistic that Jennings would return to practice earlier this week, but nothing has materialized as he was absent from practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. Hip pointers usually come with a maximum Optimal Recovery Time of 28 days. In Jennings’ case, I expect he will not play in Week 8 and will gain an extra week of rest during San Francisco’s Week 9 bye. When he returns, his Injury Risk will be Elevated, and his Health Performance Factor will be Peak. It hasn’t taken long for Irving to get acquainted with professional game speeds. The rookie fourth-round pick has put up 351 yards on 5.1 yards-per-carry to start his career and scored two of his three touchdowns in the past two games (Weeks 6-7). Unfortunately, it was also in Week 7 that Irving suffered a toe injury that is expected to keep him out of Week 8. When a player appears on the injury report with a toe injury, the first assumption is turf toe due to its prevalence in the NFL. Ultimately, this diagnosis is due to injury to the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. I anticipate Irving is dealing with either a Grade 1 or Grade 2 injury. If it is a Grade 1, he could play in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. If it is a Grade 2, it’s more likely that he returns in Week 9 or 10. A long-shot possibility is that Irving remains out through Tampa Bay’s Week 11 bye. After a 132-yard performance in Week 6, Flowers was limited to only 11 yards in Week 7. The limited production resulted from an ankle injury he suffered on a run play in the second quarter. It looked bad in the moment, but he was ultimately able to return and finish the game. Based on the video, Flowers is likely dealing with an eversion or high-ankle sprain. For speedy, shifty guys like him, either of these injuries will impact his skill set, so he’s carrying a Below Average Health Performance Factor. After Metcalf was carted off the field with a knee injury during Seattle’s Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons, fans feared the worst. The good news is that his injury is much better than originally thought, and his season isn’t over. Metcalf was diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain, meaning that the medial collateral ligament — which sits on the inside of the knee, connecting the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) — was overstretched and slightly damaged. Part of this designation means there shouldn’t be any significant swelling or instability. While still not ideal, a Grade 1 MCL sprain is certainly better than the more severe alternatives. Recovery is also fairly straightforward. Bringing the cart out signifies that this may be closer to a Grade 2 than other Grade 1 sprains, so his Optimal Recovery Time is 21 days. I don’t expect him to play in Week 8. If he does, his Health Performance will be Below Average, and his Injury Risk will be High. If he rests for 14 to 21 days, he will return with a Peak HPF and an Elevated IRC. Heading into Week 7, I cataloged seven different hamstring injuries for Evans, including the one he suffered in Week 6. Playing with a hamstring injury always comes with a High Injury Risk, and ultimately, Evans aggravated his in Week 7. On the play in question, he got past his defender and was in the process of hauling in a touchdown pass when he was tackled, dropping the ball. Evans was running fast as he was tackled, resulting in a rapid collision with the turf. He immediately grabbed for his hamstring and did not return to the game. Moving forward, Evans’ Injury Risk will be High and likely remain that way for the rest of the season. His Optimal Recovery Time is 35 days, and his Health Performance Factor is Below Average. The Buccaneers have already confirmed Evans will be out through Tampa Bay’s Week 11 bye, which would be 28 days. If he makes enough progress during that window, he could return in Week 12, but this is the last thing the Buccaneers should rush. It made sense to toss these two in together since neither injury appears to be serious. Starting with Hill, he practiced fully on Wednesday and was added to the injury report on Thursday with a foot injury. He managed to practice but was considered limited. Some possible injuries he could pick up in practice include plantar fascia inflammation, blisters, and inflammation in the ball of the foot (metatarsalgia). Regardless of the injury, I am categorizing it as a Grade 0.5 until his status for Friday is known. I expect he will play in Week 8. Things are a little more established for Waddle since he entered Wednesday as a limited participant due to a thigh injury. More than likely, this is just a contusion and nothing too concerning. Unlike Hill, Waddle is likely dealing with a Grade 1 injury. However, like Hill, Waddle is expected to play in Week 8.