NFL Injury Update: Michael Thomas remains doubtful while Julio and Kittle have room for optimism. The NFL injury bug continues to be a major factor this season.
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From @GMFB: Updates on a few key skill players, with #Saints WR Michael Thomas’ return being determined by risk of reinjury, not how he looks in practice… plus #49ers TE George Kittle and #Falcons WR Julio Jones. pic.twitter.com/W5dRAme7Z4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2020
NFL Injury Updates on Thomas, Jones & Kittle
Firstly, Michael Thomas finally made a return to practice this week. He was limited in participation, but this is still a good sign. It marks the first the time since Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain that he’s returning to practice.
However, there is still uncertainty about Thomas’s availability for week 4. The Saints want to remain cautious with their superstar receiver and will evaluate the risk of re-injury before giving Thomas the green light. Thomas has missed the last two games.
Meanwhile, Jones and Kittle may very well return this week. Kittle was an active participant in practice and said he’ll be good to go for week 4. Kittle missed the last two games with a bone bruise and an MCL sprain.
#49ers’ TE George Kittle said he’s looking forward to playing against the Eagles on Sunday, signifying he’s officially back this week. pic.twitter.com/SDnGGBrD9h
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) October 1, 2020
Similarly, Julio Jones was a limited participant in practice this week, but head coach Dan Quinn said he should be alright for the Monday Night match-up. Jones missed the last game with an injured hamstring.
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Injury Impacts
While Kittle’s injury hasn’t been devastating for the 49ers, the same can’t be said for the Saints and Falcons. The 49ers enjoyed a relatively easy schedule as they cruised to wins over the lowly Jets and Giants.
Meanwhile, the Saints and Falcons offenses both struggled without their star receivers. Yes, Alvin Kamara and Calvin Ridley picked up the slack tremendously and both of them had monster games, but there’s something about having your all-pro receiver on the field that you can’t replace.
For the Saints, receiver depth remains a major issue as aside from Kamara and Tre’Quan Smith, the Saints had 0 players with at least 30 receiving yards against the Raiders.
Moreover, Calvin Ridley was the only Falcons receiver to top 50 yards against the Bears. Having Julio Jones back would be a huge boost for their offense.
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