NFL injury report: 5 notable injuries from Week 12 ft. Christian McCaffrey and others
As the NFL playoffs loom large on the gridiron calendar, some notable names will miss the chaos due to medical setbacks.
SK recaps some of the forced departures.
Week 12 injuries took out some notable NFL names
RB Dalvin Cook, Minnesota
Cook's situation seemed dire when the medical cart came out to remove him from the Vikings' Sunday showdown with San Francisco, especially with his history of shoulder injuries. While NFL Network's Ian Rapoport declared that Cook suffered a torn labrum in the 34-26 defeat at the hands of the 49ers, he is expected to miss "limited games," with an estimated return coming on December 20. Minnesota, the current holders of the NFC's seventh and final playoff spot, will likely turn to veteran spell option Alexander Mattison in Cook's absence.
RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina
As if the Panthers' listless loss at the hands of the Miami Dolphins wasn't painful enough, the team announced that McCaffrey will be heading back to injured reserve on a more permanent basis.
McCaffrey previously missed five games with a hamstring injury that forced a previous IR trip. It is the second such placement and recovery time that has led the Panthers to cancel the remainder of McCaffrey's season.
Injuries have eaten away at McCaffrey's Charlotte service since a $64 million contract extension made him the best-paid rusher in NFL history: he has appeared in only 10 NFL games since inking the deal in April 2020.
WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco
Deebo Samuel: RB1️⃣
https://t.co/8xfLF82uCy
The 49ers' November surge took a slight hit in the aftermath of a 34-26 win over Minnesota: Kyle Shanahan confirmed that a groin strain will remove the newly-minuted 1,000-yard receiver from next Sunday's division showdown against Seattle (4:25 PM ET, CBS). The head coach, however, is confident that Samuel won't miss too much time and that young playmakers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are more than capable of stepping up.
"[Samuel] has been a big part of our offense," Shanahan said in a report from ESPN NFL reporter Nick Wagoner. "But I think we're in a spot right now that we can overcome that."
LB Fred Warner, San Francisco
Samuel isn't the only San Francisco standout who won't be available next week: Warner was lost to a hamstring strain and is likewise set to miss the trip to Seattle after leaving Sunday's visit from Minnesota early. His absence will end a streak of 59 consecutive starts to open his career after the 49ers chose him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Like Samuel, Warner isn't expected to miss much time, and he could probably be back for the Niners' interconference showdown against Cincinnati on December 12.
LB T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
His pride aside, Watt emerged from the Steelers' dreadful loss in Cincinnati unscathed, but he yielded a positive test for COVID-19 on Monday, one that will likely keep him out of a crucial divisional matchup with the leaders from Baltimore (4:25 PM ET, CBS). Besieged by medical woes all season, Watt is currently second in the NFL with 12 sacks over nine games.