2023 Week 16 Injury Report: Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers

While DT Jordan Phillips went onto the IR this week, the list is getting shorter, as DT DaQuan Jones had his 21-day practice window opened this week, CB Kaiir Elam is in his last week of the open window, and WR Justin Shorter is in his second week.

As for the Los Angeles Chargers, they will be missing arguably their best three players. Their IR list includes WR Mike Williams and QB Justin Herbert. Starting OLB Joey Bosa and WR Keenan Allen are OUT. DB Deane Leonard and LB Tanner Muse are DOUBTFUL. Rounding it out as QUESTIONABLE are CB Essang Bassey, TE Nick Vannett, and DL Nick Williams.

PLACED ON IR: DT Jordan Phillips

Phillips had immediate surgery after the Cowboys game for a dislocated ‘wrist’. 

The most likely injury is a Galeazzi fracture. This is like a high ankle sprain and fracture, but of the forearm.

Not all Galeazzi fractures are the same. The location of the fracture (higher or low) and amount of damage to the distal radioulnar joint will dictate the recovery process. Based on the team moving from a week-to-week prognosis to placing Phillips on IR, he likely suffered significant damage. Return to play can take 12-16 weeks (1), but the team might allow him to play with a cast if they can move deep into the playoffs. In my opinion, his effectiveness will be too limited, and he will not be returning this season.

OUT

S Micah Hyde

Micah remains out with the neck stinger he suffered against the Chiefs.

This is a significant injury for Hyde because of his recent neck history. Although not confirmed, Hyde likely underwent an Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion (ACDF) last year. Usually, once a player suffers a new stinger or severe neck ailment, it’s game over. Hyde has already returned once after a significant stinger, and it appears he will be trying again. He was listed as a limited participant all week, which was an improvement as a non-participant from last week. His susceptibility to further stingers has likely increased, sort of like a boxer when they start to lose their ‘jaw’. The team will be in a bind if he is knocked out of a game early when they decide to play him again, it just won’t be this week.

WR Justin Shorter

Shorter had been on the IR list since the preseason with a ‘hamstring’ injury. It appeared to be a redshirt stash due to his hamstring history in college. The team opened his 21-day practice window last week, and have ruled out his activation this week already.

QUESTIONABLE 

DE AJ Epenesa

Epenesa injured his ‘ribs’ when he was tackled on his INT during the Chiefs game. 

He is dealing with an injury to the rib cartilage. An injury of this nature carries a 2-4 week recovery and will require a protective device (2). He was a limited participant all week in practice but it sounds like he is still not doing much. Expect Epenesa to return next week against the Patriots. If not, he will certainly be available for the Dolphins game.

CB Kaiir Elam

Elam was placed on the IR before Week 9 for an ‘ankle’ injury. It has now been reported to be a deltoid ligament injury of his ankle. This is the ligament on the inside of the ankle and is a trickier recovery, like a high ankle sprain. The lack of disclosure on the team’s injury list earlier in the year is a bit questionable. 

Elam is now in the last week of his 21-day practice window and has been a full participant the past three weeks. It still seems unlikely he is activated this week due to numbers, and questionable if he just goes to long-term IR next week.

RB Ty Johnson

Johnson suffered a ‘shoulder’ injury in the second quarter last week. He looked to be in serious pain as he couldn’t move his right arm much, but was able to return to the game. The mechanism was more AC joint > stinger, and this was confirmed with him being listed with a shoulder on the injury report.

Johnson was a limited participant all week and wore the red non-contact jersey. It would be wise of the team to hold him out a week, or at least dress another RB for insurance.

DT DaQuan Jones

Jones was activated from the IR list this week. This opens a 21-day practice window as he nears his comeback from a pectoral repair.

The average return to play lately is about five months (3). However, there are a handful of cases of players returning in three months now. DaQuan is about 10.5 weeks post-surgery and is set to return soon. He was a limited participant all week and I believe he will be returning to action for the Dolphins game Week 18, which will mark three full months of recovery.

ALSO LISTED

TE Dawson Knox

Knox went on the IR to undergo ‘wrist’ surgery. His timeline of recovery was just under seven weeks post-op. This timeline is consistent with a fixation for a scaphoid fracture as they carry a 4-6 week recovery (2). He was active the last two weeks, climbing his snap count from 47% to 62%. A scaphoid fracture is commonly missed in radiology early on, which might be the reason for the delayed surgery.

TE Dalton Kincaid

Kincaid appeared to suffer an AC joint sprain on his last play before the GW FG against the Chiefs. He has been logging limited participation in practices the past two weeks as he dons a red non-contact jersey. His ailment has a high potential of re-aggravation, so the team is being conservative with him in practice. His snap count plummeted from 78% against the Chiefs to 48.5% against the Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how this trends with Knox back in the mix.

DE Leonard Floyd

Floyd was listed with a ‘wrist’ injury starting two weeks ago. Now he is also dealing with a ‘rib’ injury. This is likely similar to Epenesa’s injury, but to a lesser degree. When Floyd injured his ribs against the Cowboys, he returned to the game. He was a limited participant in practice all week. It will be interesting to see where he lands with snap counts this week. I would assume he sees a dip.

QB Josh Allen

While still listed on the Buffalo Bills injury report with his ‘right shoulder’ injury, Josh Allen is fine.

RB James Cook

Coming off his AFC POTW performance, Cook landed on the report with an ‘illness’ midweek. He only missed one practice and was a full participant the next day. He will play, but the team should be weary of an illness spread with the long road trip to LA.

LS Reid Ferguson

Ferguson was a full participant all week but is dealing with a ‘right thumb’ injury. 

P Sam Martin

Martin suffered a ‘knee’ injury in the Cowboys game when he was roughed up early on a Dallas punt block attempt. He was a full participant this week and was able to finish the game last week too.

Citations

1. Johnson NP, Smolensky A. Galeazzi Fractures. [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470188/
2. McAdams TR, Deimel JF, Ferguson J, Beamer BS, Beaulieu CF. Chondral Rib Fractures in Professional American Football: Two Cases and Current Practice Patterns Among NFL Team Physicians. Orthop J Sports Med. 2016 Feb 9; 4(2): 2325967115627623. doi: 10.1177/2325967115627623. PMID: 26925425; PMCID: PMC4753355.
3. Wise PM, Ptasinski AM, Gallo RA. Pectoralis Major Ruptures in the National Football League: Incidence, RTP, and Performance Analysis. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021 Jun 29; 9(6): 23259671211018707. doi: 10.1177/23259671211018707. PMID: 34262984; PMCID: PMC8252349.
4. Winston MJ, Weiland AJ. Scaphoid fractures in the athlete. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2017 Mar; 10(1): 38-44. doi: 10.1007/s12178-017-9382-y. PMID: 28251560; PMCID: PMC5344853.