If you roster Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nacua or Tua Tagovailoa (or God forbid, all three) then you’re fantasy football season is off to a rough start.
Sorry to say, it’s going to get rougher as all three are going to be out long-term with injuries, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Sunday morning, Rapoport reported that McCaffrey’s injured reserve stint – which requires four games to be sat out – could last longer.
“My understanding is, Christian McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, described to me as ‘frustrating and difficult,'” Rapaport told the NFL Network crew. “Difficult to run, certainly difficult to get rid of.”
To ease some concerns, Rapaport says McCaffrey is “not at more of a risk of tearing his Achilles” but could be out “six weeks or more,” meaning backup Jordan Mason will continue taking the bulk of carries moving forward.
McCaffrey isn’t the only playmaker facing an extended absence, as Nakua could sit out eight more weeks with his knee injury.
The rookie sensation from 2023 went down in Week 1 in primetime against the Detroit Lions and was placed on injured reserve this week with a PCL sprain in his knee.
Now, per Rapoport, Los Angeles may have lost one of its top pass catchers until Week 9.
“There’s a real chance, guys, we may not see him until Week 9,” Rapaport said. “Nov. 3, that’s because he’s out at least four weeks, then there’s a bye, then a Sunday game and a quick Thursday game, hard to imagine the Rams bring him back so quickly.”
Tagovailoa has been hearing calls to retire after he suffered yet another head injury, but it doesn’t sound like he plans to heed those suggestions.
Despite a scary hit and diagnosed concussion during Thursday’s game against Buffalo, Tagovailoa will meet with specialists and plans to return to the field when cleared, sources told Rapoport.
“His eyes are already on returning to the football field,” Rapoport said. “He will be healthy enough to play when he is healthy enough to play, when he and his doctors decide that.”
“The Action Network’s Darren Rovell smartly noted, Tagovailoa cannot voluntarily retire without risking his $124 million in guaranteed money. If the specialists recommend he stop playing, he would still get his guaranteed money.”
Miami head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday that there was no timetable to his quarterback’s return.