There’s a reason you should wait until after the final preseason game for your fantasy football draft and this year, that reason’s name is Jordy Nelson. A few days before, the reason’s name was Kelvin Benjamin. Either way, if you’ve already held your draft, somebody’s already screwed.
"It's a DEVASTATING BLOW. On a scale of 1-10 it's about a 9." – @stephenasmith on Jordy Nelson's injury pic.twitter.com/cbtZCr1ybd
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 24, 2015
Nelson was hurt in the first quarter of the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday on a routine play where he wasn’t contacted at all. The injury didn’t look that bad at the time and Nelson was able to walk off under his own power.
Nelson and the Packers are currently waiting on the results on an MRI to know for sure, but the initial diagnosis of the team’s doctors was a torn ACL.
On ESPN NFL Insiders, @AdamSchefter says #Packers WR Jordy Nelson's MRI is finished, but results not yet known.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 24, 2015
Nelson was a monster performer for the Packers and fantasy football owners all over the world last season, catching 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Jones’ injury opens up the door for Devante Adams, the second-year receiver out of Fresno State. Adams caught 38 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns last season. It should also result in more work for rookie wideout Ty Montgomery out of Stanford who the Packers picked in the third round of this year’s draft.
Pouncey injures ankle in the same game
Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey’s ankle injury came on a freak play, with his own running back,. Le’Veon Bell, pushed a Packers’ tackler onto the back of his leg, fracturing Pouncey’s fibula above his left ankle.
Maurkice Pouncey will undergo surgery today or tomorrow team source says. Exact timetable unknown for recovery but not likely season-ending
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 24, 2015
The injury will require surgery and while it puts Pouncey’s season in jeopardy, the Steelers are holding out hope for a return. They’ll know more after the surgery.
Pouncy already missed on season of his career with a torn ACL in 2013. Cody Wallace will likely step into the starting center spot while Pouncey is out.
Falcons’ Roddy White will have elbow surgery
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White will also go under the knife with what the team is calling a “minor surgical procedure” on his right elbow. The Falcons expect White to be ready to play in their Sept. 14 season opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Julio Jones said Roddy White stayed at his house prior to today's minor right elbow surgery. White told Jones it's his first surgery ever.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) August 24, 2015
The Falcons held White out of their game Friday night after he experienced swelling in the elbow.
“There’s something loose in his elbow that caused it to swell up,” Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said. “They will go in and take out whatever those loose bodies are in there. It’s pretty minor stuff.”
White caught 80 passes last season for 921 yards and seven touchdowns.
White will likely only miss preseason reps. The beneficiary of that should be Leonard Hankerson, who the team signed as a free agent from the Washington Redskins in the offseason. Hankerson’s best season was 2012 where he caught 38 passes for 543 yards and three scores.
Rookie Justin Hardy out of East Carolina should expect an expanded role in the offense too.
Patriots may lose rookie cornerback for the season
The New England Patriots were already in trouble with their defensive back depth before the season started. It only got worse for the Patriots Monday with the announcement that seventh-round pick Darryl Roberts could miss the entire season after injuring his wrist.
Per @caplannfl and me: #Patriots rookie CB Darryl Roberts (7th round, Marshall) has significant wrist injury that could threaten his season.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 24, 2015
Roberts has played multiple snaps with the team’s first unit defense in the preseason and was definitely going to play this season. The Pats may have to hit the free agent market and it isn’t a good one. The best free agent on the market is rookie Justin Cox out of Mississippi State.
The only problem is that Cox was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs after getting arrested for aggravated domestic violence, burglary and trespassing.
More than likely the team will sign one of the DBs it recently cut, either Derek Cox or Justin Green.
Other injuries
In spite of taking a beating in getting a concussion in Thursday’s preseason preseason game, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was back at practice Sunday and is expected to start their next game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is being held from throwing this week due to a sore right elbow.
New York Jets rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin left practice Sunday with a knee injury. Mauldin was a third-round pick out of Louisville.
