Their were quite a few notable injuries in week 8 that could have lasting impacts on teams. Danielle Hunter, Jameis Winston, Derrick Henry, and Sam Darnold all sustained injuries on Sunday. Let’s take a look at what happened and how these injuries will effect their teams moving forward.
Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry sustained a foot injury in week 8 against the Colts. Henry finished the game, but will have to undergo surgery to fix the problem. His timetable for return is 6-10 weeks. It’s no secret that the Titans offense runs through Derrick Henry. Henry leads the league in rushing, and he has almost double the amount of yards as Nick Chubb who is number 2 on the rushing list. Moving forward, the Titans offense may struggle to find a groove, considering the impact Henry had. The one saving grace for the Titans may be their conference. The rest of the AFC South is struggling, so if the Titans can find a way to 10 wins, they may clinch a playoff spot. In that case, Henry should be able to return in time to make an impact in the playoffs.
Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston tore his ACL and sustained MCL damage against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The injury came on an awkward horse collar tackle.Winston has already been confirmed to miss the rest of the season. Despite losing Winston early in the game, the Saints still found a way to beat the Buccaneers. With Alvin Kamara at running back and Taysom Hill likely returning soon, losing Winston might have little impact. The Saints are proving to be a defensive team, with an offense that is able to do just enough to win. Sean Payton is also coaching great this year, so don’t expect the Saints to slow down without Winston.
Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter suffered a torn pectoral in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Hunter left early in the game and has been ruled out for the rest of the season. The Vikings defense has struggled this season. Their run defense and secondary have struggled the most. The one bright spot was the pass rush, with Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. Now with Hunter gone, the Vikings defense finds itself in a similar position as last year. The Vikings are also missing other notable players on defense, like Patrick Peterson and Michael Pierce. With all these pieces missing, don’t be surprised if this defense looks worse as the year goes on. It’s also notable that Hunter restructured his contract during the off-season. After this season, Hunter has no guaranteed money left on his contract meaning the Vikings could cut him with no cap penalties. Danielle Hunter might have played his last game in a Viking uniform.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold left Sunday’s game against the Falcons with a concussion. The injury came late in the game, after Darnold ran with the ball for 8 yards. Darnold only threw for 129 yards before leaving the game. There has been no word on if Darnold will miss significant time. Considering Darnold was benched last week for PJ Walker, Darnold missing time may not have a significant impact on the Panthers. Darnold has struggled since starting 3-0, throwing seven interceptions in four games. Darnold’s pass catchers aren’t making it easy either, dropping passes constantly. The Panthers struggles go deeper than Sam Darnold. If Darnold misses significant time, don’t expect their struggles to end any time soon.
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