NFL Injury Notes: Earlier Deshaun Watson Return, Vander Esch Career Uncertain, Aaron Rodgers Timeline, Nick Chubb Will Miss Start Of 2024
In this blockbuster edition of the Doctor Is In: Dr. David Chao looks at the return timeline for Cleveland Browns teammates Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb, analyzes Aaron Rodgers' possibility of a mid-December return, and has bad news for Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch:
The big injury story of the week was Watson being declared out for the season by the Browns because the team says he suffered a displaced glenoid fracture during last Sunday's victory over the Ravens.
The interesting thing is the Browns didn't necessarily have to announce Watson was out the remainder of the 2023 season.
"I don't think it's impossible if they do the surgery arthroscopically, six to eight weeks, the bone heals pretty well," Dr. Chao said. "It's threading the needle but it's not impossible that he could return if the Browns go into the playoffs -- especially go a little deep."
Watson said he was having the surgery late this week or early next week. Six weeks after that would carry Watson to Week 17. It suggests he might have been ready for the Week 18 finale or the playoffs, assuming the 6-3 Browns can reach the postseason.
"I don't think it's impossible," Dr. Chao said. "I'm not saying will, I'm saying not impossible. But pretty clearly the way Andrew Berry is talking, they don't want to risk the golden goose."
BALTIMORE - Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns is tackled by Patrick Queen of the Baltimore Ravens and Kyle Van Noy during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 12. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
Deshaun Watson Answers Pundits
Glenoid fractures are not rare. Baker Mayfield had one on the left shoulder in 2021 and played with a harness. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert had a glenoid fracture in November 2022 and missed five weeks, but it should be noted he's not a thrower.
This displaced glenoid fracture that apparently happened in the second quarter of Sunday's game has raised some questions and answered others.
There's been questions about how Watson could play through a first half Sunday during which he and the team agree he sustained the fracture. How could he return in the second half and play better?
Watson completed 6 of 20 passes for 79 yards with 1 interception in the first half. In the second half, with the fracture, he completed 14 of 14 passes. That's not a misprint. He didn't miss. His passes gained 134 yards and he threw a touchdown pass without any interceptions.
How does that happen with a fracture?
"...Based on the Patrick Queen hit with about 8 minutes to go in the second quarter, I believe that is a posterior glenoid fracture," Dr. Chao said. "And because the stress in the shoulder when you throw is always anterior, that is how I theorize he was able to continue to play -- sure, sore -- but if it was anterior he just couldn't do it."
Watson Reputation Gets A Reprieve
Watson suffered a rotator cuff injury in the throwing shoulder in late September and didn't play again until Oct. 22. He threw only five passes in that game and left with shoulder discomfort.
That led some pundits, most notably Brady Quinn, to suggest Watson didn't want to play with his initial shoulder injury because he already was assured of collecting all his money and there was no motivation to risk playing with pain.
Dr. Chao sees it differently.
"He played through the high ankle sprain and shoulder ," the doctor said. "So he does want to play and apparently he asked if he could keep playing and it's the team that doesn't want to play him."
Speaking of the Browns, let's check in on a Watson teammate:
PITTSBURGH - Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns is carted off the field after sustaining a knee injury during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on September 18. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Nick Chubb Won't Be Ready For 2024 Opener
Browns Nick Chubb (MCL, ACL): Running back Nick Chubb had surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee this week and it is the second surgery on that knee because he had surgery to repair the MCL in September.
There's a reason for the dual surgeries:
"The man dislocated his knee," Dr. Chao said. "It's multi-ligament. And I have no criticism of two surgeries because one of the principles when you dislocate your knee is you don't want to end up with a stiff knee by doing too much surgery early.
"So one of the principles is to repair early and reconstruct late. The ACL is a reconstruction. The MCL, the medial capsule and posteromedial corner, is repairing tissue back to where it belongs without graft."
Chubb posted a picture of Batman with a broken mask on social media, suggesting things are tough now. But later in that same Batman movie the superhero emerges victorious.
Doc: Chubb Injury 'A Huge Deal'
And Chubb may do that. But not to start the 2024 season
"I don't see Nick Chubb being ready to go at the start of next season," Dr. Chao said. "It's not exactly the same thing but do we not remember J.K. Dobbins multi-ligaments last year? Oh, he's good to go, good to go. He wasn't exactly good to go. I don't wish him ill, but this is a huge deal."
Dr. Chao isn't saying Chubb won't play again. But it's going to take some time. And that timeline doesn't lead to the 2024 regular-season opener.
"If you told me A or B, where A is he returns at the beginning of next season Week 1 and he looks just like Nick Chubb or B is he never plays in the NFL again," Dr. Chao said, "B is more likely."
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets on the field prior to the game against the New York Giants on October 29 at MetLife Stadium. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dubious Of Aaron Rodgers Mid-December Return
Jets Aaron Rodgers (Achilles): Monday Night Football sideline reporter Melissa Stark reported on air days ago that Rodgers told her he's shooting for a mid-December return from his ruptured Achilles injury and ensuing surgery.
The Jets play on the Dec. 17th. They travel to Miami for that game.
And that would be three months and one week after his Achilles injury. Is that realistic when the typical return from Achilles surgery is between 9-12 months?
"Aaron Rodgers told Melissa Stark he's aiming for mid-December but then if you look at the depth of his comments he says, 'I'm not running yet. I can't lift my heel off the ground. I'm jogging on this partial weight bearing treadmill at 50 percent,' " Dr. Chao said.
And that doesn't sound like a time table for playing NFL football in one month.
Rodgers Would Be Immobile Upon Mid-December Return
"Could he wear some sort of brace and be a statue in the pocket in December? Maybe," Dr. Chao said. "I don't see them putting him out there like that."
Dr. Chao was among the few who early on said Rodgers could return to play late this season, probably the playoffs. Why? Rodgers is a quarterback and it's his front leg rather than his back (plant) leg.
"If he were a cornerback, no possible way," Dr. Chao said. "He'd get burned every which way and sideways. But he can indeed read defenses and operate out of shotgun and get the ball out of his hands. Any other position, he would not be able to return. It's because he's special, because it's his front foot and because he plays quarterback."
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Leighton Vander Esch of the Dallas Cowboys is seen on the field during warm ups before a game against the New England Patriots at AT&T Stadium on October 01. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Doctors Won't Clear Vander Esch After Second Surgery
Cowboys Leighton Vander Esch (neck): Vander Esch, who had neck surgery in 2020, may need another one because he's been on injured reserve since early October with a neck injury. That injury happened on Oct. 8 when San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams basically drove the 27-year-old linebacker head-first into the right leg of Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Vander Esch is out for the rest of this season. And he may never play again, according to Dr. Chao.
"If you go back and look at what I said with his first neck surgery is he can survive this one," Dr. Chao said of the 2020 procedure. "Fusion and return to play. But the next one is going to end his career. We're here. It's the next one.
"Single level fusions return to play. Multi-level fusions don't."
A multi-level fusion involves fusing two or more motion segments of the spine to become one single unit. Vander Esch will continue to consult with doctors and his family about his future.
And what will most doctors tell him?
"It's best for you to stop because we're at higher risk for more problems," Dr. Chao said. "It's a free country but nobody wants to risk permanent damage. Right now he could walk away and enjoy a normal life. Typically, spine doctors don't clear people with two multi-level fusions for the game of football."