Sunday of NFL Week 10 was a relatively quieter day for injuries across the league.
However, three high-profile quarterbacks — Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater and Matthew Stafford — suffered injuries and will undergo further tests to determine their severity.
Here’s a recap of the biggest injuries to players across the league and how it could impact fantasy football:
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (ribs)
Brees suffered a rib injury during the first half of Sunday’s game against the 49ers. He did not return to the game after going 8-for-13 for 76 yards and one touchdown.
“He took a heavy shot in the first half. As he came out in the second half, he felt it was really impacting him,” Saints coach Sean Payton told reporters. “So, specifically, he’ll get an MRI and X-Rays. His back felt sore. As he tried to throw, he just came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I don’t feel like I’m capable of playing.’ And so, quickly, we made the switch and, you know, that happens sometimes.
“He felt strong enough about letting me know and I know when he does that, which is probably gonna be the first time in 15 years, that it was significant enough where he felt like he couldn’t function in the second half.”
Brees, 41, was replaced by Jameis Winston, who went 6-for-10 for 63 yards and zero touchdowns in the second half. If Brees were to miss time, Winston could potentially be an upgrade for fantasy purposes for the Saints’ pass catchers.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions (thumb)
Stafford suffered a thumb injury during the first quarter after he was sacked by Washington’s Kevin Pierre-Louis. Trainers taped his hand and he was able to finish the game without issue, but will undergo X-rays on his right thumb.
“I’ve got to go get it looked at,” he said after the game per the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t know what happened. It was on a play where I got sacked, they had a personal foul, so the next time I gripped the ball to throw it, it didn’t feel so hot.”
Stafford finished the day completing 24 of 33 attempts for 276 yards and three touchdowns, one of his best performances this year. It’s a good sign he was able to finish the game, but the situation is worth monitoring, especially with an injury to his throwing hand. If he were not available for Week 11 in Carolina, Chase Daniel would likely get the start, with David Blough backing him up. Both would be a significant downgrade for the Lions’ pass catchers.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers (knee)
Bridgewater suffered a knee injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game after being sacked by Buccaneers edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul. He limped to the injury tent and then to the locker room after completing 18 of 24 attempts for 136 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Bridgewater underwent an MRI exam on Sunday after the game, and NFL Network reported that the “initial word on his knee is that it’s not serious.”
“Source said he hasn’t even been ruled out for next week. The MRI will tell the full story, but early prognosis is not a dire one,” Ian Rapoport wrote on Twitter.
Backup P.J. Walker finished the game for the Panthers and went 2-for-4 for 12 yards. Walker or Will Grier would replace Bridgewater if he were to miss Week 11, which would be a non-trivial downgrade for the Panthers’ pass catchers.
Danny Amendola, WR, Detroit Lions (hip)
Amendola suffered a hip injury during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team. He was escorted to the locker room and would not return. He had been seeing an increased workload (10 targets in Week 9) in light of fellow receiver Kenny Golladay’s own hip injury, which kept him out of this game, but caught just three of three targets for 10 yards in Week 10.
Marvin Jones led the team in receiving and reeled in eight of 10 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Marvin Hall also caught a touchdown and caught two of three targets for 61 yards. Both Jones and Hall would see an uptick in work if both Golladay and Amendola are out.
Nick Boyle, TE, Baltimore Ravens (knee)
Boyle suffered a gruesome knee injury during the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Patriots. His leg twisted inward on a hit from New England linebacker Terez Hall and was carted off the field. The team quickly ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
Boyle isn’t fantasy relevant and has just 13 targets all year, but his extended absence could mean even more snaps for Mark Andrews, who has had an up-and-down season. He caught seven of nine targets for 61 yards on Sunday.
Tre’Quan Smith, WR, New Orleans Saints (concussion)
Smith suffered a scary concussion during the second quarter of the Saints’ Week 10 matchup against the 49ers. He was initially non-responsive and the medical cart was called, though he was able to walk to the locker room on his own. He did not make a catch on the day and saw just one target. It was an overall quiet day for the New Orleans receivers, who had a combined seven catches.