News
10/8/22
3 min read
Week 5 News, Notes: Broncos QB Wilson Has Partially Torn Lat
Saturday, Oct. 8
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has been playing through a partially torn lat muscle near his right throwing shoulder the last two weeks, ESPN reported.
Wilson initially suffered the injury during the team's Week 4 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, and played through it four days later in the Broncos' Thursday night loss to Indianapolis. He received an injection in his shoulder after the Colts game in the interest of being able to continue playing. Denver has 10 days between its Thursday loss and its next game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Analyst Mike Martz of The 33rd Team noticed something appeared off with Wilson after Denver's loss to the Colts.
“He does not look healthy to me,” the former Rams head coach said. “He doesn’t miss throws. Russell Wilson, he just doesn’t miss. And he missed a lot of throws in this game. There’s something going on with him. He just doesn’t look comfortable . He’s tentative.”
Through five games this season, Wilson has led the Broncos to a 2-3 record, completing 59.4% of his passes for 1,254 yards and four touchdowns, with three interceptions. Prior to 2021, Wilson had been on an ironman streak for the entirety of his career, starting a full 16 games in each of his first nine seasons, all with Seattle. He missed three games last season, the first of his career, with a finger injury. The Broncos acquired Wilson this offseason, signing him to a five-year, $245 million extension.
NFL, NFLPA Agree to Amend Concussion Protocols
The NFL and NFL Players' Association announced in a joint statement on Saturday a change to the league's concussion protocols. Moving forward, any player who is diagnosed with ataxia will not be permitted to return to a game. Ataxia can be abnormalities in motor control, balance, or speech, typically coming as a result of an injury to the brain. That statement and subsequent change came as a result of an investigation into the Miami Dolphins' handling of a head injury suffered by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from Week 3. The statement concluded the concussion protocol was followed, but "the outcome in this case was not what was intended when the Protocol was drafted."
Return of T.J. Watt Delayed by Knee Procedure
Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt will not be returning to the field as early as originally hoped. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, already out since Week 1 with a torn pectoral, will have his return delayed after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, as reported by ESPN. Watt's knee injury reportedly came in the preseason, not the Week 1 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team's lone win this season. This is the first prolonged absence of Watt's six-year NFL career. He missed two games last season and a game each in 2020 and 2017.
