Injury Updates On Jordan Love, McCaffrey, Russell Wilson, And Hill Knee From Dr. Chao

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The Green Bay Packers are going to wait until the last available moment before making a definitive decision on Jordan Love’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, but we already know what’s going happen.

“He’s not playing,” OutKick contributor Dr. David Chao said Thursday before that decision is final.

“Here’s the thing and what I said from Day One, he got his ankle trapped [last Friday against the Eagles in Brazil] and then he twisted his knee. I said that’s a high ankle. And MCL is paired with that. The knee pops, it’s not an ACL, it’s not going to be a huge deal.”

Love Might Be Back Week 4 

It played out exactly as Dr. Chao, who was the San Diego Chargers team doctor for 17 years, said.

So where are we now? Why didn’t Love go on injured reserve with an injury that could take 4-6 weeks to recover from?

“Why does he not go on IR? A, he’s a quarterback, not a cornerback, wide receiver or running back,” Dr. Chao explained. “B, there’s no second guy behind him. And Malik Willis just got there. There’s a reason you trade for Malik Willis and put Sean Clifford on the practice squad. He’s no good, either.

“He may know the system, but he’s no good.”

The Packers are obviously eyeing an earlier return than four weeks for Love, Dr. Chao believes.

“If there’s a five percent chance Jordan Love can play in week 5, you have to carry him on the roster,” said the founder of Sports Injury Central. “You got to carry that guy. And I don’t think it’s out of the question he plays in Week 4 with a brace. That would be my target.

“But he’s not playing this week.”

Unleashing McCaffrey Is Playing With Fire

Christian McCaffrey has been practicing the last couple of weeks but missed the season-opener because he’s nursing a bout of Achilles tendonitis, an issue that cropped up after he battled a calf strain in the same leg.

So should the 49ers keep McCaffrey out against the Vikings?

“CMC would play this week if you gave him the choice,” Dr. Chao said. “The question is whether [coach] Kyle Shanahan or the doctor will stop him?

“Do they want to play with fire? I wouldn’t.”

Why?  

“Achilles tendonitis can linger, just like a calf can linger,” Dr. Chao said. “But you have to be really careful with an Achilles because the calf does not present a greater chance of an Achilles tendon rupture. But Achilles tendonitis could. Not would, but could. And you’ve got to be careful there because he pops an Achilles …”

It becomes a career-threatening injury because he is a running back. There would be no guarantee he returns as the same player.

Plus, the 49ers got a 147-yard rushing performance from Jordan Mason in the regular-season opener against the Jets. There was not a huge void at the position without McCaffrey.

Tyreek Hill Couldn’t Sit Down?

When Tyreek Hill was stopped by Miami-Dade police on Sunday in what has become a viral moment for 2024, he was told by officers to sit down on the curb.

He hesitated. And they forcibly sat him down.

The whole time, he was complaining of a knee surgery, suggesting that was the reason he couldn’t sit down.

Hill addressed that this week: “So I did have a minor procedure done in Antigua – just some stem cells injected into my body, that’s it,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know that because I just be on the low with it, but yeah.”

It’s so much on the low the Dolphins haven’t listed Hill on an injury report — either last week or this week. And Hill hasn’t missed practice.

“You’re playing NFL football, and you can’t sit on a curb?” Dr. Chao asked, same as many others who heard this. “I was very curious about what that was all about.”

Pretty simple: He exaggerated to officers to try to keep from sitting down or not be forced down so violently.

Wilson Sitting A Coach Decision

Most people believe if Russell Wilson were healthy he’d be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dr. Chao thinks he’s “healthy enough,” but Mike Tomlin is protecting his presumed starting quarterback.

“That is a coaching decision,” Dr. Chao said. “It’s about 100 percent Justin Fields or a less than 100 percent Russell Wilson. He’s able to play.”

Fields started in a victory over the Atlanta Falcons last week. Wilson was the emergency quarterback. 

“That also tells you medical didn’t say he cannot suit up,” Dr. Chao said. “So here’s what is going to happen. Remember what happened with Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert at the start of his career?

What happened was Taylor was the starter and Herbert the backup at the beginning of the season. Then Taylor got hurt. And as Taylor recovered over many weeks, Herbert played well.

After about four weeks of good games by Herbert, coach Anthony Lynn stopped saying Taylor was definitely the starter. 

“Then Justin Herbert has another good game,” Dr. Chao said, “and Tyrod Taylor is no longer the starter.

“If Fields had a debacle in week one, maybe Russ starts this game. Russell Wilson is not 100 percent, but he’s a coaching decision at this time.”

That decision will lean toward Fields this week.