George Kittle Update:
After a hot start with 4 catches including a touchdown in the first quarter of his week one matchup against the Seahawks, 49er’s tight end George Kittle was ruled out with a hamstring injury. On Monday Kittle underwent an MRI and the team announced he would miss 3-5 weeks.
Why all the hamstring injuries? It seems like we can’t get through a whole game without talking about a player’s hamstrings. The hamstrings are muscles along the back of the thighs that cross both the hip and knee joints. The hamstrings work to extend the hip and flex the knee so play a key role in sprinting and top speed production. Because of their role in speed development, on field production while returning from a hamstring injury may not be what it was before. For example, after missing 7 games in 2023, Minnesota star WR Justin Jefferson was limited to 23 yards receiving in his first game back and only put up 2 touchdowns in the last 5 games of that season. Another aspect of hamstring injuries is they tend to keep popping up. A report on hamstring injuries in the NFL between 2009-2020 showed that of 2075 reported hamstring injuries, 38.4% were repeat injuries, with 11.8% being repeat injuries within the same playing season 1 .
With Kittle likely only out 3-5 weeks, he still has the potential to contribute significantly to fantasy rosters, however owners should be aware of the potential impact on production and likelihood of re-injury.
Brock Bowers Update:
On a happier note for fantasy owners, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers seems to have avoided major injury after being sidelined following a hit to the outside of his right knee in the 4th quarter of Oakland’s matchup against New England. Bowers stayed on the field for one more play after the hit, however he came up limping on his route and went directly to the medical tent for evaluation and did not return to the game.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXH3p5yVWbA)
Contact to the outside of the knee like this is an immediate red flag for an MCL sprain. The MCL is a ligament along the inside of the knee that helps prevent the knee from buckling inward, like Bowers’ knee does here. MCL injuries are frequently treated with rehab and bracing. Athletes can return to the field in as little as days to weeks depending on the severity of the sprain. Following the game, both Bowers and head coach Pete Carroll expressed confidence that the injury was minor and Bowers would be available for Oakland’s week 2 matchup against the Chargers.
- Bodendorfer BM, DeFroda SF, Newhouse AC, et al. Recurrence of Hamstring Injuries and Risk Factors for Partial and Complete Tears in the National Football League: An Analysis From 2009–2020. The Physician and Sportsmedicine .2023;51(2):139-143. doi:10.1080/00913847.2021.2013106.
