The Chiefs have received additional terrible news, as Andy Reid recently disclosed a catastrophic…
Following their 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs were left with several serious injuries.
Safety Bryan Cook (ankle) and linebacker Drue Tranquill (concussion) left the game and did not come back. Both were ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills and excluded from this week’s practices.
Tranquill is currently a part of the NFL’s concussion protocol, a five-phase program in which players advance to the next phase of recovery only after completing the previous one without experiencing worsening symptoms. Although players’ rates of progress through the protocol vary, Tranquill might be cleared to play before the Week 15 matchup with the New England Patriots. Thankfully, it seems that linebacker Nick Bolton will be able to play this Sunday after having surgery to realign his wrist.
However, Cook’s ankle injury is probably going to keep him off the field for a very long time. His left ankle appeared to have suffered a horrific injury; the replay was not shown during the NBC broadcast. Even still images were uninspiring.
It was clear at the time that the worst was anticipated. Cook was carted off the field after his teammates surrounded him to offer their support.
Fortunately, there was good news as the week got underway: negative X-ray results meant there was no fracture. Cook has undoubtedly had additional testing and imaging to determine whether there has been any soft tissue damage, even though more information is still pending.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Cook miss a significant amount of time given the way the injury looked; it’s likely that he will miss the remainder of the regular season. There is a chance he could make a comeback in the postseason, depending on the findings of the most recent tests and his rehabilitation.
Cook’s foot may have sprained or turned in a way that suggests a high ankle sprain, which typically happens when the foot is externally rotated, or turned outward, in relation to the rest of the lower leg. Unlike a classic (inversion) sprain, a high ankle sprain affects the syndesmosis (connective tissue) between the tibia and fibula instead of the ankle joint’s ligaments.
Depending on the extent of the injury and the physical demands of a player’s position, the recovery period for high ankle sprains can vary significantly.
We can fairly assume that Cook’s injury is at least a Grade II sprain based on the information we currently have. These result in moderate joint laxity (looseness or increased instability) and partial ligament tearing. Nevertheless, a Grade III injury is also a possibility. Gross joint laxity and total ligament tearing are evident in these.
Even though Cook’s injury might have been far worse, there appears to be a chance he could rejoin the team before the season is out. The Chiefs’ medical staff’s proficiency in managing severe high ankle injuries, like the one quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustained during the 2022 postseason, has already been demonstrated.
