5 NFL Injury Storylines to Watch in Week 8

Breece Hall Feared to Have Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh said after Sunday’s loss that initial tests indicated Breece Hall suffered a torn ACL 

Hall went down in the middle of a scrum on a two-yard rush in the second quarter and had to be carted off the sidelines. 

The Docs were initially reluctant to make a diagnosis because CBS’s broadcast did not show a clear indication of the type of injury or the severity. 

St. Brown Goes Down, Added to Long Lions’ Injured List

Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was ruled out after suffering a concussion with four minutes left in the first quarter. 

Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis hit St. Brown on the back of the head with his forearm. The second-year wideout was noticeably off-balance and shook his head after the play, both of which are no-go symptoms outlined in the NFL's updated concussion protocols. 

The Lions came out of their bye week and into Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys already without running back D’Andre Swift (ankle, shoulder) and wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. (IR, ankle). 

Every concussion – and every team's decision-making process – is different and there is no way to know how St. Brown will progress, but recent NFL trends suggest that he will likely miss next week’s game even if he clears protocols after showing outwards signs of a traumatic brain injury. 

Giants Could Miss Neal, Bredeson for Multiple Games

The Giants won their fourth straight game to move to 6-1 but starting right tackle Evan Neal, left guard Ben Bredeson, and tight end Daniel Bellinger each suffered injuries along the way.

Neal, this year’s No. 7 overall pick, suffered a likely multi-week left MCL sprain in the second quarter while Bredeson went down with a right knee injury that is reportedly not significant and both will undergo further tests. 

Bellinger went to the hospital after getting poked in the eye and will see an eye specialist later this week. The rookie tight end will have difficulty playing in Week 8 due to the swelling around his eye, according to the Docs, although a return in time isn't out of the question.

New York, riding Saquon Barkley and an aggressively opportunistic approach, will face the 4-3 Seahawks in Seattle next week. 

Injury Prognosis for Chargers’ J.C. Jackson, Mike Williams

In the fourth quarter of their double-digit loss to the Seahawks, Chargers’ cornerback J.C. Jackson suffered a fractured patella and likely season-ending patella tendon rupture and wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a gruesome high-ankle sprain, according to the Pro Football Docs. 

Jackson collapsed near the goal-line after planting his right foot awkwardly on the SoFi Stadium turf. He had 13 tackles and one pass defended and had a PFF score of 29.6 in five games played this year.

Initial reporting on Williams from Daniel Popper is that he suffered a right ankle sprain but further tests will determine the severity. 

Los Angeles, which has endured significant injuries to multiple key positions this season, will have a bye in Week 8 to rest and recover before heading to Atlanta. 

Will DK Metcalf Miss Time With Knee Injury?

Seahawks’ star wide receiver DK Metcalf suffered a right knee injury and was carted off the field during Sunday’s win. 

Initial reporting is limited, as is the Pro Football Docs’ analysis, as the broadcast didn’t show enough to clearly indicate an injury on the play.

The Seahawks, 4-3, play the red-hot Giants in Week 8, who have allowed the 28th-most rushing yards per game in the league this season.