National Football League

NFL Week 7 injury report: What to know about Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott, more

Published Oct. 21, 2021 12:40 p.m. ET

By Dr. Matt Provencher
FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst

As we ease our way into the middle of the NFL season — Week 7 — injuries continue to be an issue, more so for some teams than for others.

Cleveland has been particularly hard-hit, with quarterback Baker Mayfield joining the ranks of injured Browns who will be out this week.

Here's the lowdown on five key injuries, with expected time missed, as well as impact on production when the players return.

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Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns

Injury: Left shoulder labrum tear

Impact: Affects ability to take a sack without further injury and ability to run and get hit. Even though it's his non-throwing shoulder, soreness can be a distraction from his throwing arm and affect his core strength.

Surgery: Perhaps after the season

Potential time missed: Mayfield has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Denver. This is probably due to the pain and potential inflammation in the shoulder after he sustained another dislocation (instability event) in Week 6.

Impact on production: When Mayfield returns, expect his production to be reduced about 5% or less, as long as there is minimal pain and the core strength is improved.

Notes: A week off will certainly help Mayfield, especially considering that it will be followed by a 10-day break after a Thursday game. A shoulder dislocation keeps players out from play an average of 1.7 weeks, and this was his second.

Dr. Matt breaks down risks of Browns' Baker Mayfield playing through shoulder injury

Dr. Matt Provencher takes a look at how Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield aggravated his left shoulder in Week 6 and the risks of the quarterback playing through the injury.

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

Injury: Right calf strain

Impact: Affects mobility, push off, speed

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: Probably none, as the Cowboys are on a bye this week.

Impact on production: A calf injury can be an issue with rushing yards and dodging out of the pocket. Our data shows that a QB (especially a mobile QB) will have a 14-18% decline in rushing yards in his first two games back.

Notes: Prescott has downplayed the walking boot he wore while meeting with the media this week. He says he'll be "fine," and coach Mike McCarthy expects him to be ready for Week 8.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

Injury: Shin stress fracture

Impact: Affects power, ability to take a low hit, cutting, speed. Could also become a full fracture.

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: One to three weeks, but depends on imaging.

Impact on production: Gibson's overall production will be down about 8-10% when he returns.

Notes: Gibson underwent an MRI on Monday to assess the injury, but results have not yet become available. He has been fighting through this injury for a few weeks, and it cost him significant time in Week 6, when he had just 10 carries in a loss to Kansas City.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns

Injury: Calf

Impact: Affects acceleration, side-to-side movement, run after contact

Surgery: No

Potential time missed: Three to four games (was placed on IR)

Impact on production: Running backs do not fare well with calf injuries and tend to see an 18-24% reduction in rushing yards within the first three games of their return. The reduced production tends to level off to about a 9% decrease for the rest of the season.

Notes: Calf injuries can linger and become nagging problems, especially for running backs. Even worse for the Browns, running back Nick Chubb also has a calf injury and has been ruled out for Thursday's game.

Caleb Farley, CB, Titans

Injury: Left knee ACL tear, lateral meniscus damage

Impact: Affects trust of that knee upon return, quickness, strength, agility

Surgery: Yes

Potential time missed: Remainder of this season

Impact on production: Expect a 25% decrease in SNAP percentage and overall productivity in Farley's first year back after an ACL tear. This will improve to near-normal (or even better) productivity in his second season back after surgery.

Notes: Farley, a rookie first-round pick out of Virginia Tech, injured his knee in Sunday's upset win over the Buffalo Bills. He also suffered a torn ACL in college, as well as a back injury that caused him to miss time. He missed Weeks 2-4 this season because of a shoulder injury.

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.