Getty Tyreek Hill #10 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after a catch in the second quarter against the New England Patriots during the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri.
When the initial news came on Tyreek Hill’s injury, the outlook was far less than ideal and actually appeared incredibly concerning. After all, the news came shortly after the injury that the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver went to the hospital and it was later revealed that he could miss multiple weeks.
As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported, Hill suffered a sternoclavicular joint injury and the initial belief pointed to a 4-6 week timeframe for return. Rapoport did explain that there was a chance Hill could return before the six-week mark, but also could potentially miss more time than that.
#Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill (sternoclavicular joint injury) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, sources say. A positive sign: KC does not plan to put him on IR, as of now. He’ll need to be monitored in rehab, and how quickly it progresses will determine if it’s more or less than 6 weeks.
Prior to that news, Dr. Jesse Morse of The Fantasy Doctors posted analysis on Hill’s injury and pointed to six weeks as the best-case scenario considering the severity.
People are asking me about #Chiefs Tyreek Hill’s Injury & if he can suit up soon. Look at this picture. These are all the IMPORTANT structures behind the bone he broke/dislocated. Scary. Best case scenario IMO = 6 weeks. Maybe IR to return. @TheFantasyDRS
In the days to follow and ahead of Week 3 of the NFL season, a few additional tidbits jumped out which are noteworthy for the outlook of the Chiefs star.
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Tyreek Hill Injury: Chiefs WR Called ‘Week to Week’
Hill missed Kansas City’s Week 2 win over the Oakland Raiders, but as ESPN’s Adam Teicher reported, the outlook may not be as bad as initially believed. Or at the very least, the Chiefs are holding out hope that the receiver can return in the near future. Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder reportedly told Teicher that Hill is actually week to week.
The Chiefs ruled WR Tyreek Hill out of Sunday’s game against the Raiders but held out public hope he could return shortly after that. “I know there’s speculation out there about how long (Hill won’t play) but he’s truly a week to week injury,’’ trainer Rick Burkholder said.
It’s big news, especially when considering the comments come from someone this close to the situation. It’s tough to envision Hill playing in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, but Kansas City will then meet the Detroit Lions in Week 4, followed by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football after that.
Latest Tyreek Hill Injury Timeline From Sports Doctor
In a new breakdown of Hill’s injury on Tuesday, Dr. Rajpal Brar of 3cbPerformance cited both reports – one pointing to a multiple-week absence and the other to Burkholder’s comments above. But he also included the fact that the injury sounds like a “mild grade 1 dislocation” with the shortest timeline for Hill’s return appears to be two weeks. From there, Brar believes the team would then play it by ear.
For the fantasy fball crowd: I detailed Tyreek Hill’s chest injury (posterior sternoclavicular dislocation, a definite mouthful) including when to expect him back and future risks.
@fantasycouch @FantasyPros
@PFF_Fantasy @TheFFBallers
@Razzball
While Brar does point to Hill’s ability to return from injuries quickly in the past, he makes a valid point that this situation could be slightly different in terms of him attempting to play through pain. The initial outlook of a 4-6 week absence does seem to still be on the table, but there’s growing reason to believe that Hill could get back on the field sooner than initially expected.
The 25-year-old wideout is coming off back-to-back seasons with 75 or more catches while tallying 1,183 and 1,479 receiving yards in the two-year span. He’s scored 20 combined touchdowns over that stretch, with 13 of them (12 receiving, one rushing) coming during the 2018 season.
Until Hill is able to return, the heavy lifting in the passing game will fall on Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and rookie Mecole Hardman. Between those four pass-catchers, they combined to catch 23 passes and all four touchdowns during the Chiefs’ 28-10 win over the Raiders.
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Tyreek Hill Injury Update: Conflicting Beliefs on Return Timeline