NFL Players and Broken Ankles

[SackMaster]

WARNING: Videos used are of the ankle break injuries of NFL players that some may find as graphic. Watch at your own risk.

With so much misinformation out there about broken ankles, specifically that a player may never play again or that ankle breaks are "devastating injuries", I wanted give some facts instead of attempting to fear monger with false information.


Obviously, there is Dak's broken ankle on October 11, 2020


While I have no specific information on Dak's injury recovery, what I can say is that these types of injuries are not career enders, or even production reducers, like so many seem to report.

Here are a few cases that support my above assessment.


Case #1: Vita Vea broken ankle on October 8, 2020


Vita broke his ankle during the Thursday night game of the SAME WEEK that Dak broke his.

Yet despite playing at ~100+ lbs more than Dak, and at a position that places more pressure on their legs than QBs, he was able to play in the NFCCG (Jan 24, 2021) and SB (Feb 7, 2021) playing 40+% of the snaps in both games.

Sure, he was not playing at as high of a snap count as before the injury, but he came back just 15 weeks after the injury and was a big part of the defense that shutdown both Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. And I don't know of anyone who is saying Vita will not be 100% back after the offseason (maybe I missed it, but it sure isn't national news).

By the time Dak would need to participate in any activities, he would have had almost twice the recovery time (28 weeks) when offseason workout programs can begin on April 19.

So time wise, Dak's injury is not an issue.


Case 2: Allen Hurns broken ankle on January 5, 2019


In the Cowboys 2019 wild card playoff game against Seattle, Hurns broke his ankle. While he never played another snap in Big D, he did sign with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason and his production in 2019 was on par with his production in the two previous years in Jacksonville before he signed with the Cowboys for the 2018 season.

While some will argue that his 2019 production was not impressive, it was much better than what he did with his only year as a Cowboy, and was in line with anything he done in the NFL after his first two years in the league. So basically, he was what he was, before and after the injury.

Then there is also the time frame. Allen broke his ankle on Jan 5th (vs early October) and yet still played in the Dolphins season opener on Sept 8, 2019. Hurns even started the Week 3 game vs Dallas.

Here, with even less time to recover than Dak, Hurns was able to recover and still produce at the pre-injury Hurns level.


Case 3: Odell Beckham Jr broken ankle on October 8, 2017


Here we have an injury that happened almost identical to the Dak injury as far as when during the season it happened. In this case, OBJ was in the starting lineup in Game 1 of the 2018 season.

Not only did OBJ not miss the first game, he was on a likely career best year in 2018 before a Quad Bruise killed the last 4 games of his 2018 season. It would be one thing if the late season Quad injury was related to the ankle injury, but it was a leg whip (tripping) play by Kamu Granger-Hill that Kamu was ultimately fined for.

Again, the time frame is good and production was good (and arguably on a pace for better than) when compared to pre-injury OBJ.


Conclusion
Now what does this all mean? I have no idea if Dak will recover for the broken ankle because I don't have any of Dak's specific injury data.

But generally speaking, a broken ankle is not a "devastating injury" despite it being one of the most gruesome ones to watch. Even with players that weigh much more than Dak and/or play positions that are much harder on the leg/ankles than QBs (DT constant collisions in compact areas with other 300+lbs people / WR cuts and constant running), recovering from a broken ankle is not particularly hard to do.

Therefore unless there is something SPECIFICALLY wrong with Dak's recovery, I would suggest anyone reading any articles / opinions / speculation that Dak will never play again and/or will not be ready to start the season, to think critically about the data provided and see if it adds up.

So IMO, based off all the information that we do know, and even with the "cleanup" second surgery, I would be willing to bet that Dak will be 100% ready to go come April / May regardless of what team he is playing for.

And I hope that instead of blindly accepting someone else's conclusion as facts, to include this tread, you spend a little time to investigate and analyze the data yourself.

But that is me.

 

[Ranched]

blindly accepting someone else's conclusion as facts, to include this tread, you spend a little time to investigate and analyze the data yourself.

One can show all the facts & talk themselves blue in the face but will NEVER change a haters mind.

 

[charron]

While I assume Daks injury isn't career ending it's nothing like big V's. Vea was able to continue playing and no matter how tough anyone is Your not playing through how bad Daks injury was. They aren't the same.

 

[SackMaster]

While I assume Daks injury isn't career ending it's nothing like big V's. Vea was able to continue playing and no matter how tough anyone is Your not playing through how bad Daks injury was. They aren't the same.

Sure, I could agree with this. You are not playing on a broken ankle like Dak or Hurns had no matter how tough you are.

I would counter with no team is asking Dak to come back in 15 weeks either. He will get nearly twice that long to recover to get to just the offseason workouts, let along play in any game-like situations.

Even compared to Hurns, Dak will have had nearly 3 full months more to recover. That is an extra quarter year or approx 16 extra weeks than Hurns had.

So I still stand by that unless there is something serious that the public is not aware of, I don't why stories like "Dak has a 20% chance to never play again" gains any type of traction.

That is, IMO, pure click bait.

 

[sunalsorises]

I’m not an expert but I believe it is the soft tissue damage that determines how bad the injury is.

 

[SackMaster]

I’m not an expert but I believe it is the soft tissue damage that determines how bad the injury is.

True. Here is an analysis of how bad the soft tissue damage was done for Hurns' injury:

Why Allen Hurns needed emergency surgery
Hurns’ dislocated ankle was the most grotesque factor of the injury, and it’s the reason he underwent emergency surgery. The dislocated joint compromised the skin because it increased pressure on the arteries and nerves, threatening circulation. Without the prompt care Hurns received, his bone might have protruded through the skin, increasing the risk of bleeding and severe tissue damage.

Hurns’ broken bone – the fibula – is the smaller of the two bones in the calf, the other being the tibia. Between these bones and the ankle is the syndesmosis, a joint that connects to the other bones with ligaments. The rotation of Hurns’ leg also likely tore these ligaments, which normally provide stability in the ankle.

The athletic trainers and medical staff at the Cowboys game immobilized Hurns’ ankle, which was exactly what bystanders or first responders should do in the event of a severe ankle dislocation with a fractured fibula. The standard approach to address such an injury is to take X-rays, followed by closed reduction (setting the bones back to the proper alignment). Then, an orthopaedic surgeon would likely employ a plate and screws to fix the broken fibula, as well as repair the torn and injured ligaments.

So while I think saying "not all broken ankles are the same" is perfectly fine, nothing that has been released suggests that Dak's injury is special in any particular way.

 

[tyke1doe]

I'm just going to wait and ride this one out.
The truth ALWAYS wins in the end.

P.S., I'm sorry. I couldn't even look at the pictures much more watch the videos.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am not a doctor.

 

[sunalsorises]

True. Here is an analysis of how bad the soft tissue damage was done for Hurns' injury:


So while I think saying "not all broken ankles are the same" is perfectly fine, nothing that has been released suggests that Dak's injury is special in any particular way.

I almost forgot how gruesome Hurns’ injury was. Alex Smith’s recovery should also give one hope that Dak will play again.

 

[charron]

Sure, I could agree with this. You are not playing on a broken ankle like Dak or Hurns had no matter how tough you are.

I would counter with no team is asking Dak to come back in 15 weeks either. He will get nearly twice that long to recover to get to just the offseason workouts, let along play in any game-like situations.

Even compared to Hurns, Dak will have had nearly 3 full months more to recover. That is an extra quarter year or approx 16 extra weeks than Hurns had.

So I still stand by that unless there is something serious that the public is not aware of, I don't why stories like "Dak has a 20% chance to never play again" gains any type of traction.

That is, IMO, pure click bait.

Wonder where the 20% came from? Rate of infection? General odds of coming back from broken ankles? It took Dez a long time to be ok enough to even play and then he hurt himself again. So it does happen I guess.

 

[Verdict]

WARNING: Videos used are of the ankle break injuries of NFL players that some may find as graphic. Watch at your own risk.

With so much misinformation out there about broken ankles, specifically that a player may never play again or that ankle breaks are "devastating injuries", I wanted give some facts instead of attempting to fear monger with false information.


Obviously, there is Dak's broken ankle on October 11, 2020


While I have no specific information on Dak's injury recovery, what I can say is that these types of injuries are not career enders, or even production reducers, like so many seem to report.

Here are a few cases that support my above assessment.


Case #1: Vita Vea broken ankle on October 8, 2020


Vita broke his ankle during the Thursday night game of the SAME WEEK that Dak broke his.

Yet despite playing at ~100+ lbs more than Dak, and at a position that places more pressure on their legs than QBs, he was able to play in the NFCCG (Jan 24, 2021) and SB (Feb 7, 2021) playing 40+% of the snaps in both games.

Sure, he was not playing at as high of a snap count as before the injury, but he came back just 15 weeks after the injury and was a big part of the defense that shutdown both Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. And I don't know of anyone who is saying Vita will not be 100% back after the offseason (maybe I missed it, but it sure isn't national news).

By the time Dak would need to participate in any activities, he would have had almost twice the recovery time (28 weeks) when offseason workout programs can begin on April 19.

So time wise, Dak's injury is not an issue.


Case 2: Allen Hurns broken ankle on January 5, 2019


In the Cowboys 2019 wild card playoff game against Seattle, Hurns broke his ankle. While he never played another snap in Big D, he did sign with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason and his production in 2019 was on par with his production in the two previous years in Jacksonville before he signed with the Cowboys for the 2018 season.

While some will argue that his 2019 production was not impressive, it was much better than what he did with his only year as a Cowboy, and was in line with anything he done in the NFL after his first two years in the league. So basically, he was what he was, before and after the injury.

Then there is also the time frame. Allen broke his ankle on Jan 5th (vs early October) and yet still played in the Dolphins season opener on Sept 8, 2019. Hurns even started the Week 3 game vs Dallas.

Here, with even less time to recover than Dak, Hurns was able to recover and still produce at the pre-injury Hurns level.


Case 3: Odell Beckham Jr broken ankle on October 8, 2017


Here we have an injury that happened almost identical to the Dak injury as far as when during the season it happened. In this case, OBJ was in the starting lineup in Game 1 of the 2018 season.

Not only did OBJ not miss the first game, he was on a likely career best year in 2018 before a Quad Bruise killed the last 4 games of his 2018 season. It would be one thing if the late season Quad injury was related to the ankle injury, but it was a leg whip (tripping) play by Kamu Granger-Hill that Kamu was ultimately fined for.

Again, the time frame is good and production was good (and arguably on a pace for better than) when compared to pre-injury OBJ.


Conclusion
Now what does this all mean? I have no idea if Dak will recover for the broken ankle because I don't have any of Dak's specific injury data.

But generally speaking, a broken ankle is not a "devastating injury" despite it being one of the most gruesome ones to watch. Even with players that weigh much more than Dak and/or play positions that are much harder on the leg/ankles than QBs (DT constant collisions in compact areas with other 300+lbs people / WR cuts and constant running), recovering from a broken ankle is not particularly hard to do.

Therefore unless there is something SPECIFICALLY wrong with Dak's recovery, I would suggest anyone reading any articles / opinions / speculation that Dak will never play again and/or will not be ready to start the season, to think critically about the data provided and see if it adds up.

So IMO, based off all the information that we do know, and even with the "cleanup" second surgery, I would be willing to bet that Dak will be 100% ready to go come April / May regardless of what team he is playing for.

And I hope that instead of blindly accepting someone else's conclusion as facts, to include this tread, you spend a little time to investigate and analyze the data yourself.

But that is me.

That’s a VERY general statement. It depends on so many things. Two ankle breaks may be very different. One may lend itsself to a quick recovery. The other may be debilitating or life threatening.

Your comments on Vea actually point to Dak’s being more severe. Dak does not seem ready to play now in spite of being 100 LBs lighter then Vea.

 

[Verdict]

The type of fracture also matters as does shattering.

 

[robertfchew]

I'm just going to wait and ride this one out.
The truth ALWAYS wins in the end.

P.S., I'm sorry. I couldn't even look at the pictures much more watch the videos.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am not a doctor.

It's much easier to see the end result of the injury than to watch it happen.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

I assume all breaks are not the same. I know a guy that broke his ankle skateboarding seven years ago. He's had three surgeries on it and he still walks with a limp today.

 

[erod]

Stilted argument

No two broken ankles are the same. It's not about the bones as much as it is about tendons and arteries and type of fracture.

He's a quarterback, so he should be fine to play even if he loses mobility. It would be more serious for a speed player.

 

[5Stars]

I did not take the time to watch all those vids, but how many were compound fractures like Dak had. There is a big difference between just broke and broke through the skin also.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The injury, specific to Dak is problematic, at least in part, because he is negotiating a contract that is limited in years. Dak is demanding record money and a shorter contract duration. If this injury is going to cost time and the team is not getting the Dak they had, even pre injury, that's a problem. Imagine paying out Dak's desired record deal and instead of getting, say four years of an equal or better Dak, say you really only get three or even two years of it due to injury. Then you are right back negotiating another record deal. I don't see how that could be a good thing for the team at all. I just don't see how that could be a very good situation.

 

[Rockport]

WARNING: Videos used are of the ankle break injuries of NFL players that some may find as graphic. Watch at your own risk.

With so much misinformation out there about broken ankles, specifically that a player may never play again or that ankle breaks are "devastating injuries", I wanted give some facts instead of attempting to fear monger with false information.


Obviously, there is Dak's broken ankle on October 11, 2020


While I have no specific information on Dak's injury recovery, what I can say is that these types of injuries are not career enders, or even production reducers, like so many seem to report.

Here are a few cases that support my above assessment.


Case #1: Vita Vea broken ankle on October 8, 2020


Vita broke his ankle during the Thursday night game of the SAME WEEK that Dak broke his.

Yet despite playing at ~100+ lbs more than Dak, and at a position that places more pressure on their legs than QBs, he was able to play in the NFCCG (Jan 24, 2021) and SB (Feb 7, 2021) playing 40+% of the snaps in both games.

Sure, he was not playing at as high of a snap count as before the injury, but he came back just 15 weeks after the injury and was a big part of the defense that shutdown both Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. And I don't know of anyone who is saying Vita will not be 100% back after the offseason (maybe I missed it, but it sure isn't national news).

By the time Dak would need to participate in any activities, he would have had almost twice the recovery time (28 weeks) when offseason workout programs can begin on April 19.

So time wise, Dak's injury is not an issue.
During my Marine Corps career and broke my ankle and foot at the same time and kept on humping for awhile until the swelling in my boot was unbearable. I was back at it in 4 weeks. No issues since in fact the Doc says it is better than ever.

Case 2: Allen Hurns broken ankle on January 5, 2019


In the Cowboys 2019 wild card playoff game against Seattle, Hurns broke his ankle. While he never played another snap in Big D, he did sign with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason and his production in 2019 was on par with his production in the two previous years in Jacksonville before he signed with the Cowboys for the 2018 season.

While some will argue that his 2019 production was not impressive, it was much better than what he did with his only year as a Cowboy, and was in line with anything he done in the NFL after his first two years in the league. So basically, he was what he was, before and after the injury.

Then there is also the time frame. Allen broke his ankle on Jan 5th (vs early October) and yet still played in the Dolphins season opener on Sept 8, 2019. Hurns even started the Week 3 game vs Dallas.

Here, with even less time to recover than Dak, Hurns was able to recover and still produce at the pre-injury Hurns level.


Case 3: Odell Beckham Jr broken ankle on October 8, 2017


Here we have an injury that happened almost identical to the Dak injury as far as when during the season it happened. In this case, OBJ was in the starting lineup in Game 1 of the 2018 season.

Not only did OBJ not miss the first game, he was on a likely career best year in 2018 before a Quad Bruise killed the last 4 games of his 2018 season. It would be one thing if the late season Quad injury was related to the ankle injury, but it was a leg whip (tripping) play by Kamu Granger-Hill that Kamu was ultimately fined for.

Again, the time frame is good and production was good (and arguably on a pace for better than) when compared to pre-injury OBJ.


Conclusion
Now what does this all mean? I have no idea if Dak will recover for the broken ankle because I don't have any of Dak's specific injury data.

But generally speaking, a broken ankle is not a "devastating injury" despite it being one of the most gruesome ones to watch. Even with players that weigh much more than Dak and/or play positions that are much harder on the leg/ankles than QBs (DT constant collisions in compact areas with other 300+lbs people / WR cuts and constant running), recovering from a broken ankle is not particularly hard to do.

Therefore unless there is something SPECIFICALLY wrong with Dak's recovery, I would suggest anyone reading any articles / opinions / speculation that Dak will never play again and/or will not be ready to start the season, to think critically about the data provided and see if it adds up.

So IMO, based off all the information that we do know, and even with the "cleanup" second surgery, I would be willing to bet that Dak will be 100% ready to go come April / May regardless of what team he is playing for.

And I hope that instead of blindly accepting someone else's conclusion as facts, to include this tread, you spend a little time to investigate and analyze the data yourself.

But that is me.

While in the Marines I broke my ankle and foot at the same time. I kept on humping until the swelling in my boot became too much to bear. 4 weeks later I was back at it an the Doc said it would be better than ever.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

You hit the proverbial nail on the head The extent of the injury being not just compound fracture of a bone, but extensive soft tissue ligament damage, the timing of the injury during contract negotiations and the amount of money involved along with questionable amount of rehabilitation to be done all points to a perfect storm. Not good for either side. Dallas or any other team would be skeptical of just signing off on a $170m to $200m contract based on all these facts. Dak gambled last year on his health and lost that gamble. That happens.
This very well could be his last year in Dallas regardless of whether traded or not.

 

[Rockport]

The injury, specific to Dak is problematic, at least in part, because he is negotiating a contract that is limited in years. Dak is demanding record money and a shorter contract duration. If this injury is going to cost time and the team is not getting the Dak they had, even pre injury, that's a problem. Imagine paying out Dak's desired record deal and instead of getting, say four years of an equal or better Dak, say you really only get three or even two years of it due to injury. Then you are right back negotiating another record deal. I don't see how that could be a good thing for the team at all. I just don't see how that could be a very good situation.

Are you a Doctor? No you aren’t so just clamp it.

 

[5Stars]

While in the Marines I broke my ankle and foot at the same time. I kept on humping until the swelling in my boot became too much to bear. 4 weeks later I was back at it an the Doc said it would be better than ever.

If you were a Marine, I applaud you for that, however, you did not, and I'll say it again, you did not have a compound fracture! A broken bone in some or most cases will heal even stronger than before, however, the surrounding tissue, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, all that will never be the same.

What year were you a Devil Dog?