Week 2 Injury Report: Kelce, Diehl, Gabbert, Hernandez and More

By: Kim O'Hara | Posted: September 17, 2012

Amidst Sunday’s action, we saw a few players exit their respective games with injuries that appeared pretty serious. MRI results are coming in today, and the news isn’t terribly helpful for the players (and teams) affected. 

David Diehl, a Giants offensive lineman (currently playing right tackle) went down with an apparent knee injury in New York’s 41-34 victory over Tampa Bay. After an MRI today, head coach Tom Coughlin has confirmed that Diehl has injured his MCL. The prognosis on this type of injury is a bit more promising than a dread ACL tear, as it likely won’t require surgery. There is currently no timetable on his return, but a Giants offensive line that has struggled to provide consistent protection for quarterback Eli Manning in the first two weeks could miss his presence sorely. 

Philadelphia center Jason Kelce also suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s 24-23 win, and the news seems less promising for the second year player, who has started every game in his career through this week: an MRI has revealed that while Kelce has also torn his MCL, his ACL was partially torn as well. It sounds like the protocol here is to let the MCL heal (takes approximately four to six weeks) before addressing the ACL tear. According to Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder, it’s possible that Kelce will want to surgically repair the ACL, in which case he will be out for the season. If Kelce elects to rehab the ligament instead, he could be available in the latter half of the season. Dallas Reynolds, logging the first game minutes of his career, filled in for Kelce on Sunday and it looks likely that he’ll continue in that role. UPDATE: The Eagles announced Tuesday, 9/18 that an initial scope of Kelce's knee revealed an ACL tear significant enough to require surgery. He has been placed on IR as a result. Reynolds will start, but the Eagles signed center Steve Vallos as backup. 

Continuing a trend of poor injury luck for the NFC East in Week 2, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo appears to have re-injured his surgically repaired left pectoral muscle in Sunday’s 31-28 loss at St. Louis. There are no official MRI results to report, which leads me to believe Orakpo should be back on the field sooner than later, but it’s troubling that he has now aggravated the injury twice since his offseason surgery. Once he returns to the field, one can only hope it does not continue to nag him. In addition, defensive end Adam Carriker suffered a knee injury and could potentially be out for the season. UPDATE: According to head coach Mike Shanahan, Orakpo tore his left pectoral muscle and Carriker tore his quadriceps tendon. Both are season-ending injuries.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots struggled to generate any offensive rhythm in a shocking 20-18 loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals yesterday, and much of that may be due to Aaron Hernandez’s absence. The young tight end exited the game with an apparent ankle injury, and though he has yet to undergo an MRI (or the results have yet to be released), he was seen leaving the Patriots facility using both a boot and crutches. It’s unclear how much time he will miss, but his absence (and the team’s subsequent inability to implement two-tight end packages) could continue to significantly impact New England’s offense. UPDATE: Head coach Bill Belichick declined to provide any insight on Hernandez's status, but sources claim he will be out "a few weeks" with his injured ankle.

When Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert left Sunday’s lopsided 27-7 loss to Houston, it wasn’t unreasonable to assume it was performance-, not injury-related. But it was quickly reported that he had suffered a “leg injury”. The Jaguars have since elaborated on the initial generic description, calling it a hamstring injury. Although Gabbert appeared able to move with relative ease, he was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of backup Chad Henne. His status for next week at Indianapolis is uncertain, but with Gabbert failing to connect on half of his passes and Henne fumbling only his third snap under center, Jacksonville could still be without meaningful offensive leadership for the foreseeable future. UPDATE: Eugene Frenette of the Florida Union-Times reports head coach Mike Mularkey has described the injury as more of a “butt muscle” than hamstring, and doesn’t anticipate him missing Sunday’s game at Indy. 

It’s unfortunate when injuries happen, but they inevitably occur every year and often influence the landscape of a team’s season. But it’s always interesting to see how various players will step up in the absence of teammates; it’s a telling indicator of both the depth and heart of a team. 

Kim O'Hara is the Assocate Editor of TheFootballGirl.com. She is an avid fan of sports in general, but the NFL in particular. She has also been a contributor to ESPN the Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @arahomik   

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