National Football League

NFL Week 10 injury report: What to know about Russell Wilson, Trevor Lawrence, more

Updated Nov. 9, 2021 3:56 p.m. ET

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By Dr. Matt Provencher
FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is expected to return in Week 10 of the NFL season, but there is plenty of other news on the injury front.

Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence were among those to suffer a variety of aches and pains.

For more analysis of the NFL from Dr. Matt, follow him on Twitter or go to FantasyPredictors.com.

Here's the lowdown on nine key injuries, with players' expected time missed and impact on production when they return.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford injured his left ankle Sunday.

Dr. Provencher explains how productive Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford will be next week after injuring his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Titans.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams

Injury: Low ankle sprains

Impact: Affects stability, mobility

Surgery: No

Time missed: 0 games

Impact on production: We will likely see only a very small decrease in overall rushing yards and little-to-no change in passing yards.

Notes: Both Lawrence and Stafford returned to their games and were able to perform following their injuries. They will most likely use this week to rehab and reduce any swelling. They can work with the medical staff on exercises designed to help strengthen the musculature around the ankle and work on stability. In their next games, they might tape the ankle for stability, but I expect both quarterbacks to come out and be productive.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence to be limited in practice after injuring ankle

Dr. Provencher explains how productive Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will be next week against the Colts.

Bashaud Breeland, CB, Vikings

Injury: Groin

Impact: Affects change of direction, slowing down, speed

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: 0-1 game

Impact on production: You can generally expect to see a 10-12% reduction in SNAP percentage in the first game post-injury. That will level off over the next two games and return to normal.

Notes: Breeland left Sunday's game against Baltimore in the first half. The Vikings are already short at cornerback and would love to have him back. Soft tissue injuries, particularly to the pelvis and groin area, however, can be aggravated very easily if a player returns too soon. The Vikings will have to make sure Breeland is fully healed before he returns to game situations, or they could end up having a bigger issue on their hands.

DeShon Elliott, S, Ravens

Injury: Torn biceps tendon and torn pectoralis major

Impact: Affects tackling, pass breakups

Surgery: Yes

Potential time missed: Remainder of season

Impact on production: Elliott should be back at his baseline when he returns next season and could even be better, given rest followed by an extensive therapy program for upper-body strengthening.

Notes: Elliott lost his first two seasons to big injuries, including a forearm fracture and ACL tear. Unfortunately, this injury will also require surgery, and he will be out for the remainder of the season to rehabilitate. If all goes well with the procedure and he works to get his range of motion and strength back, he will be ready to go next season.

Patrick Surtain II, CB, Broncos

Injury: Knee sprain

Impact: Affects burst, stability, pivoting

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: 0-1 game

Impact on production: We should see a 5-6% reduction in SNAP percentage in his first game back. There is a chance of reinjury, so it will be important to monitor Surtain's progress in the game.

Notes: Knee sprains can be nonspecific, but from looking at the injury footage, we don’t expect Surtain to miss much time. Often, this is a sprain of the capsule or a bone bruise around the knee joint.

Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals

Injury: High ankle

Impact: Affects burst, power, yards after contact, pivoting

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: 2-4 games

Impact on production: Overall, running backs experience reduced production in their first three games back after a high-ankle injury — down 11-14% in overall rushing yards and down about 8% in all-purpose yards. This improves as the season goes on.

Notes: Edmonds is a guy who can heal quickly. The team will most likely give him ample time to rest and recover from the high ankle so that he comes back ready to go. With the Cardinals sitting in a great spot at 8-1, they most likely won’t risk reinjury by trying to rush Edmonds back, especially with James Conner ready to take on the load.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys

Injury: Knee contusion

Impact: Affects power, speed, ability to take low hits

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: 0-1 game

Impact on production: We expect about a 5-6% decline in overall rushing yards, especially given his time in and out of last week's game.

Notes: Elliott played through this injury for some time last weekend. He will most likely get treatment this week and be ready to go in Week 10.

Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants

Injury: Ankle

Impact: Power, cutting

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: 0-1 games

Impact on production: Barkley's rushing yards will likely be reduced about 12-14% in his first two to three games back, but then that will level off to high production levels for the rest of the season.

Notes: Barkley hurt his ankle in Week 5, and it might continue to be bothersome, but given that the Giants are entering a bye week, I expect him to be back for Week 11. He might have some limitations, depending on the initial amount of swelling and likely soft tissue damage the ankle sustained in the initial injury. Barkley was also on the COVID-19 reserved list due to a positive test, but that later proved to be a false positive.

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks

Injury: Mallett finger/finger fracture

Impact: Affects grip, throwing, accuracy

Surgery: Yes

Potential time missed: Returns this week

Impact on production: We don't anticipate any decline for Wilson on short passes within 15-20 yards. But he might have some issues with accuracy and ball speed on longer throws. Overall, we expect him to be down about 10-12% in passing yards in his first three games as he works on the mobility and trust of his finger.

Notes: Russell had his pin pulled and should be ready to play this week. There is also likely a small additional screw (or screws) helping to hold the bony portion of his injured long finger tendon in place. He will need time to work on scar tissue, mobilization and joint mechanics over the next several weeks, even though the repair should be quite solid.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson suffers finger injury

Dr. Provencher provides insight on Russell Wilson's finger injury and when we can expect the QB back on the field for Seattle.

Renowned orthopedist Dr. Matt Provencher and his company, Proven Performance Technology (PPT), deliver data-driven injury insights to football fans. In this first-of-a-kind role as Athlete Injury and Performance Analyst for FOX Sports’ digital platforms, Provencher provides important predictive player health and recovery information about post-injury performance, the impact of weather, field conditions and more.

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National Football League

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson

Trevor Lawrence

Matthew Stafford

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Bashaud Breeland

Minnesota Vikings

DeShon Elliott

Baltimore Ravens

Ezekiel Elliott

Dallas Cowboys

Pat Surtain II

Denver Broncos

Chase Edmonds

Arizona Cardinals

Saquon Barkley

New York Giants

Matt Provencher