NFL injury report: Availability of Colts Anthony Richardson in Week 5, Jonathan Taylor questionable

Inside Injuries’ Greg Scholz runs through some of the most pressing injury issues for Week 3 of fantasy football 2024.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick glossary of terms commonly used by Inside Injuries:

• IRC = Injury Risk Category (three designations: ‘Low’, ‘Elevated’, ‘High’) — the overall likelihood of a player being injured
• HPF = Health Performance Factor (peak, above average, below average, poor) — our benchmark for predicting player performance
• ORT = Optimal recovery time — the amount of time a player needs to fully recover from an injury (not the same as how much time he will actually miss).

Anthony Richardson, QB, IND (hip)

Richardson was forced to leave the Week 4 game against the Steelers in Indianapolis due to a hip injury that occurred in two stages. First, Richardson was injured in the first quarter on a 14-yard run. He left the game for two games before returning. On the next action he injured the hip again and did not return.

Currently, Richardson is considered day-to-day. He managed to be a limited participant in both Wednesday and Thursday practices, which is a good sign, but we don’t expect him to play in Week 5. The specific injury he suffers is called a hip pointer, which is essentially a bruise on the top part of your hip, where muscles, tendons, and the top of your pelvic bone – the iliac crest – meet. Moreover, Richardson struggles with an oblique tension.

None of these injuries come with a long recovery time, but Richardson’s injury history is concerning. His optimal recovery takes only 10 days, but his injury risk is high. In addition, his health performance factor is below average.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND (ankle)

Taylor is unlikely to play in Week 5 due to a sprained right ankle. This is the same ankle with which he has had an extensive injury history. Notably, in 2022, Taylor suffered a similar injury early in the season before returning to play after missing a few games. He re-injured the ankle in December and ultimately required surgery.

Any sprain can weaken the ligaments, so ankle stability will be a concern in the future. In addition, he will have a longer recovery time. On the plus side, reports indicate that this sprain is less serious than the sprain he suffered in 2022. Nevertheless, Taylor’s optimal recovery time will be closer to week 8. His injury risk will be high.

GO DEEPER

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Rashee Rice, WR, KC (knee – IR)

Rice will reportedly see more specialists this week to determine the severity of the knee injury he suffered in Week 4. Early speculation was that he had a torn ACL. Based on video alone, we cannot say with certainty that this is the case.

Given the way the knee is hyperextended, the ligament most likely to be injured would be the LCL. In addition, there will probably be bone bruises. There is a possibility that the ACL has been torn, but the other – often overlooked in scenarios like this – involves the PLC or posterolateral corner. These are three structures at the back of the knee: the popliteus tendon, the fibular collateral ligament, and the popliteofibular ligament.

Regardless of which structure – or structures – is injured, this is a significant knee injury for Rice and he will miss at least the next four games on IR. We expect him to miss more time and could miss the rest of the season. His injury risk will be high when he returns.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, WAS (knee)

The details of Robinson’s knee injury are currently unknown, but his absence from Wednesday and Thursday’s training sessions does raise some concerns. The good news is there is no action in the Week 4 game at Washington where an injury could be diagnosed.

As a result, we’re tentatively assuming Robinson will be available in Week 5. His participation in Friday’s practice will likely be the deciding factor. Even if he is limited, he should be good to go. But with Austin Ekeler expected to clear concussion protocol, Robinson may see fewer carries and targets. Either way, Robinson’s injury risk is increased. His health performance factor will be below average if he plays this week.

Diontae Johnson, WR, CAR (ankle)

Johnson entered Week 5 on the injury report with an ankle injury. This came as a surprise after he set a season high in snaps played in Week 4 and scored for the second consecutive week. He did not take part in Wednesday’s training before logging a limited session on Thursday. This is obviously a good sign that the injury is mild and that the team is seeing progress.

Based on the non-specific details and the rapid change in availability, we expect Johnson to play this week. His injury risk will be increased and his health performance factor will be above average.

George Kittle, TE, SF (ribs)

Kittle injured his ribs during the first half of San Francisco’s win over New England in Week 4. Initially it was doubtful he would return at halftime, but he was back on the field for the start of the third quarter and put together a productive second half.

He did not take part in training on Wednesday or Thursday, although he was seen on the sidelines during Thursday’s training. Given Kittle’s tendency to play through injuries in the past, we expect him to play in Week 5. His injury risk will be high and his health performance factor will be above average.

Devin Singletary, RB, NYG (groin)

In four weeks, Singletary has already racked up half as many touchdowns as he did in the entire 2023 season. However, his increased production came at a cost, as he landed on the injury report early in Week 5 with a groin strain.

Singletary was not a participant in either Wednesday or Thursday’s sessions, so we would like to see some form of availability on Friday so we can feel confident about him playing in Seattle on Sunday. Groin injuries can be passed on, but these things can be problematic if they don’t heal properly. Not quite on the same level as a hamstring, but it is a soft tissue injury that requires some concern. His injury risk is high and his health performance factor is below average.

Nick Chubb, RB CLE; TJ Hockenson, MIN, TE (knee – IR)

These two are coming back from a serious knee injury in the same week, so I thought we could get them together. First, Chubb made his practice debut on Wednesday and practiced again on Thursday. There was little action on both days, which is no surprise considering he is returning from an injury that required surgery to repair both his ACL and MCL. The Browns now have 21 days to evaluate Chubb before having to activate him. We expect him to return around week 8, with limited reps sooner. His injury risk will be high when he returns, but he could find himself in elevated territory given enough time.

Hockenson has not yet returned to practice, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the current plan is to have him return Friday. This opens a similar 21-day window for the Vikings to evaluate Hockenson. Although not as serious as Chubb’s, Hockenson’s knee injury was a torn ACL. It will take some time for him to get back to game speed, but when he does, his injury risk is high. Like Chubb, we expect him to return towards the end of his stint, around week 8.

(Top photo by Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor: Michael Hickey/Getty Images)