National Football League

NFL Week 17 injury report: What to expect from Jimmy Garoppolo, Shaq Barrett, more

Updated Dec. 29, 2021 1:55 p.m. ET

By Dr. Matt Provencher
FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst

If the San Francisco 49ers are going to make a push to the playoffs in the final two weeks of this season, they're going to have to navigate an uncertain quarterback situation.

That's because starter Jimmy Garoppolo injured his right throwing thumb in the second quarter of last week's 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Although he was able to finish the game, Garoppolo had issues gripping the ball in practice Monday. Now, it has been reported that Garoppolo suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) thumb, as well as a fracture in the same thumb.

I would expect Garoppolo to miss the 49ers' Week 17 contest against the Houston Texans — and perhaps even more time — but we will have to see how this stabilizes over the next one-to-three weeks.

This is a common injury to the thumb and is reported to be a bone chip, which means Garoppolo likely also has a ligament injury and bony injury to the collateral ligament of the thumb. What we will have to watch closely is if the bony injury — or avulsion fracture, as it is known — can heal in a splint or if it might require surgery due to being unstable or displaced.

'Expect Jimmy G to miss Week 17' — Dr. Matt

Dr. Matt Provencher assesses QB Jimmy Garoppolo's thumb injuries and predicts how long the San Francisco 49ers' signal-caller will be out of action.

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

The UCL of the thumb helps keep the thumb stable. It is also known as a "skiers thumb" or "gamekeepers thumb" because it can be hurt on a ski pole or when a soccer goalie tries to stop a shot. It can significantly affect grip strength and mobility of the thumb, which are obviously super-important at the quarterback position.

I would expect to see a specialized form of custom-molded plastic, or a taped splint, that Garoppolo can wear on the thumb, but this might not allow him to grip and throw the ball as he needs.

Others who have gone through a similar injury include Matthew Stafford, who dealt with it during the end of his tenure with the Detroit Lions and had a procedure to stabilize the thumb in the 2021 offseason.

Drew Brees underwent surgery on his thumb in 2019. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

In addition, Drew Brees injured the same ligament in 2019 and missed five games after having surgery to stabilize it. Brees wore a plastic splint and later noted that his injury was still an issue during his first several games back that season.

Jay Cutler also had a "thumb sprain" in 2016 and missed five games for Chicago.

This injury is crucial to the 49ers as they try to make a push for the postseason, but they're not the only team dealing with injury issues as we head into Week 17.

Here is the lowdown on seven other key ailments, with players' expected time missed and impact on production when they return.

Shaquil Barrett, LB, Buccaneers

Injury: Sprained MCL/ACL

Impact: Affects side-to-side speed, quickness, strength

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: From two games to remainder of season

Production upon return: When Barrett returns, he could be down up to 30% until he feels that his knee is stable and trusts it to perform at the required level.

Notes: The Bucs will be without their star pass-rusher at least until the playoffs. The Pro Bowler reportedly sprained his right MCL and ACL late in the first half of Sunday’s 32-6 win against the Panthers. He'll be working hard to prepare his knee for the postseason.

Knee ligaments are important for stability when it comes to cutting, pivoting and explosiveness, and while there are many types of sprains, when you start to have two of them involved, it becomes more worrisome. The MCL is the most commonly sprained knee ligament, but when the ACL is involved, it creates a heightened sense of severity. There are players who can come back and be successful with enough rest, but with the playoffs a few weeks away, it could be tough for Barrett to be in his usual stellar form.

Barrett currently leads Tampa Bay with 10 sacks, and his absence will be felt by the Bucs in their final two regular-season games. The Bucs are already a bit banged up and now are hurting at the linebacker position, given that Lavonte David is on IR and Jason Pierre-Paul has been dealing with a shoulder issue all season.

Dr. Matt evaluates Shaquil Barrett's knee injury

Dr. Matt Provencher shares his thoughts on the knee injury to Tampa Bay linebacker Shaquil Barrett. "There are many types of sprains, but when you start to have two ligaments involved, which apparently is the case here, it becomes more worrisome."

Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings

Injury: Ankle

Impact: Affects change of direction, quickness, jumping

Surgery: Yes

Potential time missed: Out for season

Production upon return: The Vikings announced on Wednesday that Thielen will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his injured left ankle.

Notes: Thielen went down in the second quarter Sunday against the Rams. By video analysis, this looked like a mild left high-ankle sprain and an aggravation of his injury from Week 13. Prior to Wednesday, the thought was that he would undergo physical therapy and rest to optimize his ankle for the Vikings' playoff run. Thielen's injury is likely a mild sprain to the ankle syndesmosis, or the ligaments high in the ankle that keep it stable and allow for good push-off, landing and cutting.

James Robinson, RB, Jaguars

Injury: Achilles tear

Impact: Affects explosiveness, cutting, jumping, power

Surgery: Yes

Potential time missed: Six-to-eight months

Production upon return: When Robinson returns next season, our data shows that he will be down about 15-20% in offensive productivity in his first seven games back. Hopefully, he can level off after that, but Achilles tears in running backs have proven to have long-term effects in the past, with many not returning to their normal performance levels.

Notes: An Achilles tear can happen when the calf muscle lengthens while undergoing a contraction, such as when pushing off in the backfield, as Robinson did when he went down with his noncontact injury. The tear usually happens at a relative weak point above the top of the ankle joint, where the tendon and muscle come together.

He'll need surgery to repair the tendon and then extensive rehabilitation for six-to-eight months before he can return to NFL form. However, Achilles tears in NFL players — especially running backs — can be debilitating, as their jobs require explosiveness from the calf to ankle and foot. The Achilles is also very important for cutting and absorbing load with jump-landing and lateral movements.

Robinson will undergo extensive rehabilitation after surgery — including range-of-motion exercises, swelling control, muscle stimulation and strengthening exercises, along with early blood flow restriction therapy (or BFR) in which he can start to strengthen the lower extremity early in his rehabilitation without loading it with weight.

'Rehabilitation of six-to-eight months' — Dr. Matt on James Robinson

Dr. Matt Provencher assesses the Achilles injury to Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson.

Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles

Injury: Broken hand

Impact: Affects ball control, handoffs, wrist control

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: One game to rest of season

Production upon return: If Sanders returns this season, expect his playing time to be cut in order to avoid overworking him. But since he is the featured back, I’m sure he will do everything he can to be on the field.

Notes: Sanders fractured his hand against the New York Giants and was ruled out right after halftime. We will continue to monitor the situation and await additional confirmation from the Eagles, but we know they aren’t putting him on IR. Sanders has certainly been a force this season, especially after he returned from a stint on IR with an ankle injury. He played well upon his return, rushing for 120 yards in Week 13 and 131 yards in Week 15. It’s important to understand that while hand fractures are difficult, running backs can play through them if there aren’t additional structures injured. Sanders will need to be able to have good hand and wrist control to ensure ball security.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs

Injury: Bruised shoulder

Impact: Affects yards after contact, power, running technique

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: One-to-three games

Production upon return: Expect Edwards-Helaire's snap percentage to be down from 10-15% when he returns before he ramps up to full over the next two-to-three games.

Notes: Edwards-Helaire left the Chiefs' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers early Sunday following a tackle that resulted in him landing directly on his shoulder. Ian Rapaport later reported that he had a collarbone injury, but the team is now calling it a bruised shoulder and reporting no structural damage. Even with no damage, you would think the Chiefs will rest him and get him healthy for the playoffs so that he is fresh when it matters most.

Anthony Averett, CB, Ravens

Injury: Rib fracture

Impact: Affects mobility, breathing, tackling

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: Zero-to-three games

Production upon return: After a rib fracture, players tend to have 25-35% decrease in productivity, which eventually improves to a 10% decrease after three games. The decrease is usually due to breathing and pain during movement and hitting.

Notes: Averett suffered the injury on a big hit to his midsection on Sunday against the Bengals. Coach John Harbaugh said: "It’ll be just a matter of whether he can move around and play with it. We’ll probably see later in the week, see how he’s feeling and how he’s moving." Although the next two weeks are important for the Ravens in their playoff push, Averett might need a week off to heal so that he can breathe and move like he needs to. If the medical staff can pad and protect him, he might be able to get out on the field this week, but that’s asking a lot.

Connor McGovern, OL, Jets

Injury: MCL sprain

Impact: Affects knee stability, strength, side-to-side movement

Surgery: Maybe

Potential time missed: Remainder of season

Production upon return: With the entire offseason to rehabilitate, McGovern should be able to perform at his best when he returns.

Notes: McGovern was placed on IR with an MCL injury and is officially finished for the season. We will have to see how this plays out, as some MCLs heal on their own and others need surgery. Luckily, it seems as though he avoided an ACL tear, so if he can rehab through this, it would be his best-case scenario. Even if he needs surgery, it is better than an ACL tear but would still require motion, strengthening, stability and return-to-play exercises to rehab and be ready for NFL activities.

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.